Brilliant Gameologists Forum
General Gab => Off Topic Fun => In the Media => : Kai August 20, 2008, 05:14:19 PM
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I thought it might be interesting to see what people on these forums were reading...
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The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time, Book 2) by Robert Jordan.
I started reading the series ages ago, but somewhere around book 8 or 9 I was so tired of always having to wait for the next book that I made myself a promise that I would not read another one until the series was over or Robert Jordan died. I really didn't think it would be the latter, but since it was I'm fulfilling my promise and have started reading the series again. I started over so I could reacquaint myself with the characters and events.
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Magician: Apprentice, by Raymond Fiest.
My old DM used to rave about Pug (which I thought was a pretty lame name for a wizard) and sent me the books for my birthday. That was last April, and I'm still reading it.... maybe I should get off the computer every now and then.
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Magician: Apprentice, by Raymond Fiest.
My old DM used to rave about Pug (which I thought was a pretty lame name for a wizard) and sent me the books for my birthday. That was last April, and I'm still reading it.... maybe I should get off the computer every now and then.
Hahahaha. But seriously, I enjoyed that book. One of the few books worth buying a hardcover, imo.
I currently gave the first volume of the Belgariad (which I love) to Bobismyrhino, so she should be reading that now.
I'm currently engrossed in absorbing all the information from the Burning Wheel books.
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I am actually reading a bunch of stuff right.
At work I have Heart of Darkness that I have already read four times, but I never get bored of it. Joseph Conrad's best book and one of the best in the world.
Here at home I am going through a bunch of comics I bought a few days ago. I think I've got some 700 pages of X-men to go.
Whenever I have my backbag with me (every time I go to work that is) I have something to read with me. At the moment Sandra Cisneros The House on Mango Street. I've read the English version and I want to know how good the Finnish translation is and so far it is quite good.
Yeah, I need to buy some more books and I intend to do that some time this week. No new books to read, I've finished even all the stuff I got for Christmas.
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Dune Mesiah and a bunch of RPGs I got at Gen Con.
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Hahahaha. But seriously, I enjoyed that book. One of the few books worth buying a hardcover, imo.
I currently gave the first volume of the Belgariad (which I love) to Bobismyrhino, so she should be reading that now.
I'm currently engrossed in absorbing all the information from the Burning Wheel books.
That is quite interesting. Most fantasy buffs taht I know absolutely hates Dave Eddings.
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I currently gave the first volume of the Belgariad (which I love) to Bobismyrhino, so she should be reading that now.
The Belgariad and The Malloreon are among my favorite series. I do hope she enjoys the books.
I enjoyed the Riftwar Saga as well...there are really so many books I would love to go back and revisit.
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I'm re-reading The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (Douglas Adams). Nice.
Eddings is "light and fun" - maybe I'll re-read pieces of the Belgariad later on. It's his best work IMO - everything else feels a bit repetitive once you've read it.
I like the Riftwar Saga too. And Dune Messiah, but it's not the best of the series either.
Soon I'll buy and read Watchmen - which I've first heard about 'round here.
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Soon I'll buy and read Watchmen - which I've first heard about 'round here.
Do that ASAP. Excellent.
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I am actually reading a bunch of stuff right.
At work I have Heart of Darkness that I have already read four times, but I never get bored of it. Joseph Conrad's best book and one of the best in the world.
I did not like Heart of Darkness. Got about three pages in and then jumped to sparknotes for my english class.
Here at home I am going through a bunch of comics I bought a few days ago. I think I've got some 700 pages of X-men to go.
Whenever I have my backbag with me (every time I go to work that is) I have something to read with me. At the moment Sandra Cisneros The House on Mango Street. I've read the English version and I want to know how good the Finnish translation is and so far it is quite good.
I found The House on Mango Street to be a very, "Why is this on our reading list? Right, minority. Gotcha" book. I managed to read it, but did not enjoy it.
Yeah, I need to buy some more books and I intend to do that some time this week. No new books to read, I've finished even all the stuff I got for Christmas.
I'm currently flipping between a couple of things depending on the mood.
Tai-Pan by James Clavell
The Art of War, translated by James Clavell
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (When I expect chicks to see me reading it)
21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader by John C Maxwell
The Emperor's Handbook by Marcus Aurelius, translated by C. Scot Hicks and David V Hicks
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Right now I'm reading Freakonomics, by Steven Levitt and another guy (I'm away from it right now....)
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"Retire Young, Retire Rich" by Robert Kiyosaki.
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Books I am reading or rereading now:
Variable Star by Robert A Heinlein and Spider Robinson (2 of the best authors in this universe).
A Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs (about a fella who tries to follow ALL of the rules and commandments).
Collapse by Jared Diamond (about societal collapses in history and modern times).
Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi (a stand alone novel set in the Old Man's War universe - good stuff!).
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Weird Tales. I's a collection of short stories from teh old pulp magazine of the same name.
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Crimson Shadow Trilogy - R.A. Salvatore.
I'll probably follow it with The Peloponnesian War or something similar.
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So Bobismyrhino texts me a couple minutes ago to let me know she started reading the first book last night and is almost done, so she needs the next two. :D
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Part of my reading list is here: http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=1065.0
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As if I didn't have enough catch up with all my Eberron RPG books (in addition to any other RPG book I've been planning for years to "read from cover to cover someday"), I picked up a number of RPG Books at Gen Con. I got Reign of Steel for Gurps as well as some Gurps Horror books. (To suppliment my Heroes of Horror book! Which I suppose I should read first....)
And I got a few novels as well. I think the first I'll take on is Annotated Elminster.
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I currently gave the first volume of the Belgariad (which I love) to Bobismyrhino, so she should be reading that now.
The Belgariad and The Malloreon are among my favorite series. I do hope she enjoys the books.
*nom nom nom* Yes, the books are rather delicious. :D
No but really, the book's taken time away from porn watching time. That's SERIOUS. It's just THAT good. My god... It's soooo goooooood.
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Current books:
Flashpoint
Wolves on the Border
Warrior: Riposte
Good books, if a bit dated now.
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No but really, the book's taken time away from porn watching time. That's SERIOUS. It's just THAT good. My god... It's soooo goooooood.
Look at it this way, books are bound to go obsolete before internet porn will. In the words of a wise woman "I'm fairly sure that if they took all the porn off the Internet, there'd only be one website left, and it would be called Bring Back The Porn."
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A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray.
I was told I'd like the Gemma Doyle series if I liked the Twilight series so I'm giving it a shot. Not too into it yet, but I'll wade through the first book before deciding on the rest.
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Currently reading Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan. At the rate I'm going, I won't have to wait very long between Knife of Dreams and Remembrance of Light (or w/e the 12th book's going to be called). I've found some interesting ideas for DnD/BW games from reading The Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference.
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I really liked Jordan's series. I've read the whole thing at least three times now. I think next time I'll make a family-tree sort of thing, just to keep track of all the names and where they are, who they're working for, etc. Should be easier than just trying to remember.
The next book, A Memory of Light (IIRC), has aLOT of loose ends to tie up. I'm pretty eager to see what happens with the Aelfinn & Eelfinn. Snakes and Foxes does have some merit to it after all!
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I just finished Adventures of Huckleberry Finn for my AP Literature class...
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I just read Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. I have to say, it was a great book. Really taught me how the US is one of the fattest country on Earth. This is now one of the few books that changed how I go about my daily life.
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Dune Mesiah and a bunch of RPGs I got at Gen Con.
I've been reading Dune Messiah off and on, also.
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I just read Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. I have to say, it was a great book. Really taught me how the US is one of the fattest country on Earth. This is now one of the few books that changed how I go about my daily life.
People that harp on about the US being the fattest country in the world *obviously* has not visited New Zealand where "fat is beautiful".
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Kinda silly. I can see whether or not I eat too much by having a look at my six pack. My abs are still there and looking hot as ever, hence not too much food.
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I just read Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. I have to say, it was a great book. Really taught me how the US is one of the fattest country on Earth. This is now one of the few books that changed how I go about my daily life.
See, I'm gunna go with Tshern on this one. The trick is just not to be fat.
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I just read Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. I have to say, it was a great book. Really taught me how the US is one of the fattest country on Earth. This is now one of the few books that changed how I go about my daily life.
See, I'm gunna go with Tshern on this one. The trick is just not to be fat.
Stole the words straigth from my pocket, my good lad.
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Kinda silly. I can see whether or not I eat too much by having a look at my six pack. My abs are still there and looking hot as ever, hence not too much food.
Why settle for a 6-pack when you can have a keg? :lol
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I just finished reading Stephen King's The Stand a while back (which REALLY made me want to run a d20 Apocalypse game), and haven't picked another book to get into yet.
Still waiting on the next Song of Ice and Fire too... :-\
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Kinda silly. I can see whether or not I eat too much by having a look at my six pack. My abs are still there and looking hot as ever, hence not too much food.
Why settle for a 6-pack when you can have a keg? :lol
Ease of use.
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I'm reading Mainspring, it's slightly goofy steampunk, but played really straight.
I'm kind of reading Deadhouse Gates too, but it's slow going and I've lost track of where I am and started over a couple of times. It's one of those series people rave about, but I'm not really getting it I guess.
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At work I have Heart of Darkness that I have already read four times, but I never get bored of it. Joseph Conrad's best book and one of the best in the world.
I did not like Heart of Darkness. Got about three pages in and then jumped to sparknotes for my english class.
Well, everyone's tastes are different. Conrad is my favourite author, bar none. And while I love Heart of Darkness, my favourite may be Under Western Eyes.
Right now I'm reading History Play which is a pseudo-serious pseudo-history explaining how Will Shakespeare was a hack who fronted for Christopher Marlowe, who had faked his death and was in hiding in France during Shakes lifetime. Oddly compelling and dripping with Elizabethan info-goodness.
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I'm kind of reading Deadhouse Gates too, but it's slow going and I've lost track of where I am and started over a couple of times. It's one of those series people rave about, but I'm not really getting it I guess.
*raves*
Yup, I'm a Malazan fan. *points to sig*
The Chain of Dogs is a rather awesome story IMNSHO. Do try to persist if you can bear it. ;)
Oh, I finished re-reading vol 2-3-4 of Douglas Adam's series. Gotta go to 5... and back to 1 which I need to buy. Then more Steven Brust, some Asprin...
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The Chain of Dogs is a rather awesome story IMNSHO. Do try to persist if you can bear it. ;)
I think my problem it that it's more demanding of attention than I'm used to in a fantasy novel. I usually read 2 or 3 novels at a time along with games and code and movies and podcasts and a million other distractions. When I tried to read the Malazan books like that I found myself getting lost - forgetting who major characters were and where they were.
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It is more demanding, I agree. I tend to prefer demanding works - in SF/fantasy at least, I read little philosophy. Point in case : Dune is among my favorites too.
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I'm on book two: Queen of Sorcery. I love it too. :D
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Tshern: Ahh, Heart of Darkness. I loved that book until I had to write a paper on it for a HumSci course. Hardest paper I've ever written, and as a philosophy major, that's saying something. I must've read the whole story ten times, and finally churned out a paper about how my attempt to analyze Heart of Darkness had itself become a maddening journey into the heart of darkness. Still, great book, even if I never want to see it again (at least until I've got my degree).
As for what I'm reading, besides a ton of comic books, Whitman's Leaves of Grass, Virgil's Aeneid, and Understanding Media by Marshall MacLuhan. All of this (except for the comic books) goes on hold in a week when school starts, though.
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I just read Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. I have to say, it was a great book. Really taught me how the US is one of the fattest country on Earth. This is now one of the few books that changed how I go about my daily life.
See, I'm gunna go with Tshern on this one. The trick is just not to be fat.
A somewhat recent study mentioned that naturally skinny people (people with low subcutaneous fat) can be more at risk for things like heart disease etc because they can have high levels of organ fat (visceral fat) without even realizing it. People who are overweight are aware of their increased risk of fat related diseases, but skinny bastards can be skinny while still at an increased risk for those diseases... and they don't really know it since they're appear to be thin and healthy.
Just thought I'd throw that in there, skinny boys. :P
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I just read Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. I have to say, it was a great book. Really taught me how the US is one of the fattest country on Earth. This is now one of the few books that changed how I go about my daily life.
See, I'm gunna go with Tshern on this one. The trick is just not to be fat.
A somewhat recent study mentioned that naturally skinny people (people with low subcutaneous fat) can be more at risk for things like heart disease etc because they can have high levels of organ fat (visceral fat) without even realizing it. People who are overweight are aware of their increased risk of fat related diseases, but skinny bastards can be skinny while still at an increased risk for those diseases... and they don't really know it since they're appear to be thin and healthy.
Just thought I'd throw that in there, skinny boys. :P
I don't see the issue. I look good. That's the whole point of regulating fat levels. If I die young that's too bad. I'll have an heir to succeed me.
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I am actually reading a bunch of stuff right.
At work I have Heart of Darkness that I have already read four times, but I never get bored of it. Joseph Conrad's best book and one of the best in the world.
Here at home I am going through a bunch of comics I bought a few days ago. I think I've got some 700 pages of X-men to go.
Whenever I have my backbag with me (every time I go to work that is) I have something to read with me. At the moment Sandra Cisneros The House on Mango Street. I've read the English version and I want to know how good the Finnish translation is and so far it is quite good.
Yeah, I need to buy some more books and I intend to do that some time this week. No new books to read, I've finished even all the stuff I got for Christmas.
Conrad rocks, or he did when he was alive and writing.. or when i was reading... I liked The Secret Agent best... I didnt make it 5 pages into Heart.. I did enjoy Apocalypse when I watched it for the first time a couple months ago..
I havent been able to get into any real reading in years..
when I was reading I like the short russian stuff.. im not down with the mega epics, but The Brothers K was a nice romp.. and some of the short stories are great..
dude needs to hurry on the last WoT book, how hard can it be to say 'rand lives' 'morraine comes back' 'lan regains his throne and Ny lets him wench around all he wants' geez.. :wall and TOR books needs to learn how to keep a paperback book cover attached to the friggen book..
The last book I nearly enjoyed was by Cheerah (?) i forget her name... something about slow space travel and how people become isolated and xenophobic, its not asimov but not bad... it has a line i really liked 'the deep was wide' but it lost me about 3 chapters later..
I tried to do the whole set of Asimov Robots books chronologically, made it most of the way... eventually the foundations got old..
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Tshern: Ahh, Heart of Darkness. I loved that book until I had to write a paper on it for a HumSci course. Hardest paper I've ever written, and as a philosophy major, that's saying something. I must've read the whole story ten times, and finally churned out a paper about how my attempt to analyze Heart of Darkness had itself become a maddening journey into the heart of darkness. Still, great book, even if I never want to see it again (at least until I've got my degree).
It was one of our final exam books. I actually opened it for the first time three weeks after the finals and I couldn't let it go. Too bad I never actually read it for my finals...
But yes, it is an excellent book.
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I hated Heart of Darkness. Seriously, I dropped an English class purely based on not being able to stomach that book. I tried, but after about 7 sentences I would fall asleep. And I'm not just a retard, I've been reading at a college level since 6th grade. So, to you guys that actually read the book, and enjoyed it, um... wow.
The Art of Seduction, by Robert Greene, was pretty good though. Highly recommend that to anyone.
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Isn't the Heart of Darkness considered to be possibly the greatest book written in the english language.
Personally I feel most of the so called greatest books are just piles of steaming shit. The only reason the recieve this fame is because they deal with some social issue at the time, but current events and social issues should not decide that a steaming pile of shit is a 5 star meal and have you eat it gagging on it the whole way down, until you throw it up and then you are forcefed your own shit filled throwup. This is caused do to some deranged fuck heads decided shit tasted like fillet and force you to read it so you'll enjoy the so called arts.
I hate summer reading.
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But how do you REALLY feel about it ? :clap
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Cyro, I'm gonna have to disagree with you there. There are old books that are pieces of shit, no doubt about that. But proportionally, most of those are modern, usually dimestore John Grisham Danielle Steele shite. Pre-20th century, if you wanted to get a book printed, it took some serious cash. You wanted it to be famous? It had to be fucking good. This becomes more true the farther back you go. 19th century, Herman Melville with Moby Dick. 18th century, Henry Fielding with stuff like Tom Jones and Joseph Andrews. All the way back to epic poems like the Iliad and the Odyssey. I read a ton of classical literature, and I very rarely find a book that's bad. Boring? Maybe. Dry? Sometimes. But flat out bad? Naah. I realize that yes, they don't deal with current events and social issues from now. Sadly, Moby Dick has no speedboat chases, and Tom Jones doesn't sing "She's a Lady" once. Since the popular classic in this thread is Heart of Darkness, I'll use that as an example.
As I said before, I have a love/hate relationship with Heart of Darkness. It beats me sometimes, but I know that deep down it loves me back. The whole book is about the dark and mysterious shit that goes on in people's heads, set around a trip to Africa. The author, Joseph Conrad, was polish. English wasn't even his first language, but he took his giant literary cock and fucked the English language so hard that it screamed for more. The headboard was banging so hard in his room that Samuel Taylor Coleridge couldn't keep his mind on Kubla Khan. While Coleridge was decreeing stately pleasure domes, Conrad was banging out lines like “Going up that river was like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings. An empty stream, a great silence, an impenetrable forest. The air was warm, thick, heavy, sluggish. There was no joy in the brilliance of sunshine.” and “…As I stood on this hillside, I foresaw that in the blinding sunshine of that land I would become acquainted with a flabby, pretending, weak-eyed devil of a rapacious and pitiless folly.”
A lot of classical works are the same way, and I feel no shame in admitting that this particular book kicked my ass. All I can say Cyro, is that you are either reading the wrong books, or that you need to develop more patience with your literature. Classical books certainly don't read like most books today. Dickens would happily spend his first three chapters just establishing a setting, and Cooper had no bones about having a character draw an arrow, only to fire it three pages later after all kinds of introspection. That said, neither of these are bad, though they might not be for you.
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Currently? Ummmm. Nothing. Well, reading some GURPS books while making a character technically, but not in any sort of commited way.
Been meaning to actually read Desert Raiders (by Lucien Soulban) for a while, may actually start.
There's something about the style of some older books that manage to hit the spot for description and newer books don't often hit that. This passage in Call of the Wild, for instance:
"They were all terribly footsore. No spring or redbound was left in them. Their feet fell heavily on the traill, jarring their bodies and doubling the fatigue of a day's travel. There was nothing the matter of them except that they were dead tired. It was not the dead-tiredness that comes through breif an excessive effort, from which recovery is a matter of hours; but it was the dead-tiredness that comes of months of toil. There was no power of recuperation left, no reserve strength to call upon. It had all been used, the last least bit of it. Every muscle, every fibre, every cell was tired, dead tired."
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The problem with classic literature is that the older it is, the farther removed from current life. Most people just can't relate (or sometimes understand). Lots of folks can read Twain and enjoy it. A few can get into Shakespeare. But it is a rare bird who can actually enjoy Homer, nowadays.
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True enough. It reminds of of my cousin who, upon finding out she had to study Shakespeare in high school, brought her copy of Julius Caesar home to her mom and complained about how they were studyng it, but it wasn't even real english, so it didn't make sense to do it en english class...Her mother agreed, and lobbied (thankfully unsuccessfully) the schoolboard to take it out.
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Cyro, I'm gonna have to disagree with you there. There are old books that are pieces of shit, no doubt about that. But proportionally, most of those are modern, usually dimestore John Grisham Danielle Steele shite. Pre-20th century, if you wanted to get a book printed, it took some serious cash. You wanted it to be famous? It had to be fucking good. This becomes more true the farther back you go. 19th century, Herman Melville with Moby Dick. 18th century, Henry Fielding with stuff like Tom Jones and Joseph Andrews. All the way back to epic poems like the Iliad and the Odyssey. I read a ton of classical literature, and I very rarely find a book that's bad. Boring? Maybe. Dry? Sometimes. But flat out bad? Naah. I realize that yes, they don't deal with current events and social issues from now. Sadly, Moby Dick has no speedboat chases, and Tom Jones doesn't sing "She's a Lady" once. Since the popular classic in this thread is Heart of Darkness, I'll use that as an example.
As I said before, I have a love/hate relationship with Heart of Darkness. It beats me sometimes, but I know that deep down it loves me back. The whole book is about the dark and mysterious shit that goes on in people's heads, set around a trip to Africa. The author, Joseph Conrad, was polish. English wasn't even his first language, but he took his giant literary cock and fucked the English language so hard that it screamed for more. The headboard was banging so hard in his room that Samuel Taylor Coleridge couldn't keep his mind on Kubla Khan. While Coleridge was decreeing stately pleasure domes, Conrad was banging out lines like “Going up that river was like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings. An empty stream, a great silence, an impenetrable forest. The air was warm, thick, heavy, sluggish. There was no joy in the brilliance of sunshine.” and “…As I stood on this hillside, I foresaw that in the blinding sunshine of that land I would become acquainted with a flabby, pretending, weak-eyed devil of a rapacious and pitiless folly.”
A lot of classical works are the same way, and I feel no shame in admitting that this particular book kicked my ass. All I can say Cyro, is that you are either reading the wrong books, or that you need to develop more patience with your literature. Classical books certainly don't read like most books today. Dickens would happily spend his first three chapters just establishing a setting, and Cooper had no bones about having a character draw an arrow, only to fire it three pages later after all kinds of introspection. That said, neither of these are bad, though they might not be for you.
Dude, that's a really good perspective. I have to agree.
Sidenote: When flipping through ancients (cough the art of war/emperor's handbook cough) I am often inspired by key lines. Older literature can have some wonderful language in it. It's just a fricken bitch to understand the language and the story at the same time.
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Cyro, I'm gonna have to disagree with you there. <snipped a lot of really good commentary>
Yeah, I was going to write a reply. Instead, I'm just going write: QFMFT!
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...and Cooper had no bones about having a character draw an arrow, only to fire it three pages later after all kinds of introspection. That said, neither of these are bad, though they might not be for you.
You might like Anne Rice then. Only writer I know who can make "she comes down off the ladder" last 40 pages...
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I went out of my way to read things like The Art of War, Paradise Lost, and The Aeneid. I liked em.
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I went out of my way to read things like The Art of War, Paradise Lost, and The Aeneid. I liked em.
What, did you read it before LatinIV?
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Yeah I overreacted a bit, and my opinion strong (due to a mix of boredom and undirected hate). That said I did enjoy the Illiad, Huck Fin, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Moby Dick (didn't finish it the books pages were coming out of the binding and while I liked it I couldn't coop with missing 5-20 pgs at a time in a book a little over my head while in 6th grade), and parts of 1984 (a little to predictable, hell I even guessed the approximate emotional and physical state of the author through the book, and I'm not that good at reading), but the books that get forced down my throat a school, and called classics by my teachers boor me to tears. I hated Uncle Toms Cabin (the movie was so-so), the Scarlet Letter and the Last of the Mohicans among others which I failed to enjoy and grew a loathing for (fuck Number the Stars I read it every god damn year from 5th grade to 10th, I got the the book the first time through :wall :wall).
I haven't read the heart of Darkness, and I have heard about how the author spoke english as a second language and I do give him mad props for that.
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Yeah I overreacted a bit, and my opinion strong (due to a mix of boredom and undirected hate).
I can dig that.
the Last of the Mohicans among others which I failed to enjoy and grew a loathing for
In complete agreement. Seriously, this is a case of the movie (I'm a fan of the Michael Mann Last of the Mochicans) being better than the book.
I haven't read the heart of Darkness, and I have heard about how the author spoke english as a second language and I do give him mad props for that.
I am constantly in awe of Conrad's mastery of English when I read his stuff. It may be that as English was his second language, he was so careful at crafting it.
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That wasn't so much an argument as a statement of my opinion, I never watched the film of the Last of the Mohicans and I only read the book (my parents did force me to read it in a weekend so that it would be done before summer, which didn't realy help in my enjoyment)
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You know, that was what I thought about Last of the Mohicans too. The film was way better.
Another classic which I thought the TV/movie was better than the book was Lorna Doone. The one with Amelia Warner was well done, but let down by an overswaggering villian.
The Three Musketeers were almost totally different genres altogether. The book was much more gritty, with intrigue and betrayal and loss and all that. The movie was more a humour-filled romp of a period piece. I have to say that Oliver Platt was really good as Porthos. Can't really compare the two, though.
The Man in the Iron Mask book was better than the movie, if only because... well, Leo was badly miscast...
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The Three Musketeers were almost totally different genres altogether. The book was much more gritty, with intrigue and betrayal and loss and all that. The movie was more a humour-filled romp of a period piece. I have to say that Oliver Platt was really good as Porthos. Can't really compare the two, though.
I cannot suggest strongly enough that if you want to see a near perfect the Three Musketeers movie, you must see Richard Lester's (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072281/). The Four Musketeers (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073012/) follows the second half of the novel, and its tone mirrors it--while the first half of the Three Musketeers is very "swashbuckling" and is pretty much D'Artagnan's story, the second half is darker as it's pretty much Athos' story.
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I went out of my way to read things like The Art of War, Paradise Lost, and The Aeneid. I liked em.
What, did you read it before LatinIV?
Oops. Meant the Iliad. Go me.
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Have read the Aeneid in English as well as in Latin, although the latter was a struggle. I find the epic poem style a bit flowery, partly because it uses epithets to fit the metre.
Currently on Makers of England, a history of the creation of England.
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I'm 70+ pages into book 3 of Belgariad...
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Have read the Aeneid in English as well as in Latin, although the latter was a struggle. I find the epic poem style a bit flowery, partly because it uses epithets to fit the metre.
I think that's partially the point. That was one of my favorite aspects of the epics. I wasn't a fan of the ten different proper noun names for everything. Speaking of epic poems, The Inferno was an interesting and enjoyable read. I haven't gotten around to reading the rest of the Divine Comedy, but I will some day...
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So last week I started reading Guilty Pleasures (Book 1 of the Anita Blake series) because it was highly recommended to me. It's a modern fantasy novel, and although it carries the "Vampire book" title, the series is good old fashioned dark fantasy. I'm already a quarter of the way through book 4 now... :D
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Dude, thats a pretty good series. I got my girlfriend hooked on them, now she owns them all. There's also a graphic novel of Guilty Pleasures (which she got me for our anniversary, actually).
Something happened in Laurel Hamilton's life around 2000, though, because she started getting really into the erotica aspect of... everything. You'll see.
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Just started reading Beowulf for my AP English class. Certainly looks like it's going to be fun! ;)
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beowulf was like a deep well in bedrock... i couldnt dig it..
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So when I was done re-reading the Douglas Adams series I picked up more books by Steven Brust (Athyra & Orca) and damn they get better along the way. The first 3 (Jhereg, Yendi, Teckla) got me thinking "nice, in an easy kind of way" but most of the following ones are damn cool ! Now I'm going to have to buy all of them...
I'm re-reading Pratchett in parallel - maybe I'll get on to more serious books at some point.
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I just picked up Imajica, by Clive Barker. I've read the first half once before, but now I've got the complete book so I can actually finish the story. Weaveworld is another good one by him, if anyone's read it.
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I've got Weaveworld. It was a pretty good time.
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Right now I'm reading Titus Groan, the first book in the Gormenghast trilogy...this is about the 2nd or 3rd time I've done so.
I got lucky, scouring used book stores for years to find the whole trilogy. I buy used books whenever I can avoid buying new, that and the fact that at the time, the trilogy was out of print...Which is of course, frustrating, because when I started reading the second book in the trilogy, the spine cracked in half, and now the book is back in print and I think I may bend my principles and buy the damn thing new.
But anyhow, it's an interesting read, which says a lot, as I normally cant stomach these epic, sprawling, plodding high fantasy novels. (Don't stone me to death in the streets here, but to this day I have not finished the Lord of the Rings trilogy)
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But anyhow, it's an interesting read, which says a lot, as I normally cant stomach these epic, sprawling, plodding high fantasy novels. (Don't stone me to death in the streets here, but to this day I have not finished the Lord of the Rings trilogy)
Are you kidding, it took me four tries to get through the bloody first book, and it took the announcement of the movies to give me the fortitude to read through that wasteland.
Here's a BRIEF synopsis of the first half of Fellowship:
[spoiler]Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin start walking.
And talking.
And walking.
And singing.
And walking.
And having dinner with the flippin' elves!
And walking...
You get my point. :p
[/spoiler]
Then came the Peter Jackson films, which were SO much more enjoyable. I think I would've cried if he hadn't cut out that infernally annoying Tom Bombadil!
As far as what I'm reading right now, I'm still looking for something. I just read Stephen King's The Stand a while ago, so I may just continue on to the Dark Tower series. Any suggestions?
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If you want a very well written story, interesting in both plot and in the different way the magic system is tackled, check out the Mistborn trilogy, so far its up to the second book with the final one coming out october. Its by Brandon Sanderson. Very very well written, great twists, and the magic system is really original and thought out.
And the really cool thing is the first book could be a stand alone in its own right, even though the second book is also very well done for a middle of trilogy book.
I reccomend highly :D
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Started Dante's Divine Comedy the other day.
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I think I would've cried if he hadn't cut out that infernally annoying Tom Bombadil!
The lack of Tom Bombadil was my only disappointment in the movies.
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But anyhow, it's an interesting read, which says a lot, as I normally cant stomach these epic, sprawling, plodding high fantasy novels. (Don't stone me to death in the streets here, but to this day I have not finished the Lord of the Rings trilogy)
I think that's an age thing. Between the ages of 8 and 18 I read the entire trilogy at least 10 times and loved every minute of it. I start to read it now and discover a million other things I'd rather be doing. The last time I managed to finish them was to refresh my memory for the movies.
I think the Gormenghast books are a pretty good read though. The BBC mini-series version is really worth looking up too.
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Just bought my own copy of Jennifer Government. Need to refresh my memory a bit.
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I am reading Jennifer Government now
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I am reading Jennifer Government now
An excellent book.
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Good to know. There was an associated online game (largely forum-based) that I played for a time, but I never read the book. *adds to to-read list*
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Nationstates. I liked that too, but my multi-billion people country fell when I went to the army.
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I think the Gormenghast books are a pretty good read though. The BBC mini-series version is really worth looking up too.
It was actually catching only a glimpse of the BBC mini-series that first introduced the books to me, I hadnt heard at all about them till then.
And on a side note, I love your icon, Hugh Laurie on Black Adder, yes?
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Right now I'm reading Titus Groan, the first book in the Gormenghast trilogy...this is about the 2nd or 3rd time I've done so.
I got lucky, scouring used book stores for years to find the whole trilogy. I buy used books whenever I can avoid buying new, that and the fact that at the time, the trilogy was out of print...Which is of course, frustrating, because when I started reading the second book in the trilogy, the spine cracked in half, and now the book is back in print and I think I may bend my principles and buy the damn thing new.
But anyhow, it's an interesting read, which says a lot, as I normally cant stomach these epic, sprawling, plodding high fantasy novels. (Don't stone me to death in the streets here, but to this day I have not finished the Lord of the Rings trilogy)
Try the Cycle of Fire trilogy by Janny Wurts.
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last fall/winter my kid read the hobbit, we took turns on some chapters.. god it was painful..
i only read about 5 chapters, ill not read the rest...
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Re-reading the "Swords Against Death" collection. I am reminded once again just how much Fritz Leiber rocked. I'm not as big a fan of the later Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stuff, but stories like "The Jewels in the Forest" and "the Adept's Gambit" are amazing.
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And on a side note, I love your icon, Hugh Laurie on Black Adder, yes?
You know it. I hear Laurie went on to become a serious actor or something, but to me he'll always be George :)
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House, MD.
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i knew i liked that guy...
how did i not recognize it... i must be slipping...
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Nationstates. I liked that too, but my multi-billion people country fell when I went to the army.
Heh. I remember playing that in highschool.
I just finished the 10th book in the Anita Blake series and have decided to stop reading the series. I'm going to crack open one of the series I haven't gotten around to finishing. I'm either going to restart The Dreamers series by Eddings or reread The Magician since I still love that book.
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Anita Blake just never did it for me. A bit too self-pitying.
The Dreamers sucked. Seriously sucked. I'll grant you that it was funny as heck, but the ending... UGH!
[spoiler]Let's all turn back time and make everything right. Yeee-haw! :wall[/spoiler]
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"Surviving the Internet" by Cor Molenaar > on E-Marketing
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Brisingr by Paolini. So far, so good.
Hot, Flat and Crowded by Friedman. Very good even though I don't agree with everything he says.
Myth-Chief by Asprin. Funny stuff and one of his last :(
FairTax: The Truth by Boortz. Great ideas.
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Just bought that new book in the DragonLance universe, don't remember the title, it's part of the Elven Exiles storyline. For me, DragonLance has been so up and down over the years... some good stuff, then some lame stuff, then some good, then lame again...
So we'll see how this goes. I'll let you all know when I finish. : )
AngelBlade
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Denying History by Mike Shermer
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Finished Dune Messiah. It was a slow starter, but I wound up liking it alot by the end. I think I'll check out the next book in the series.
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Just finished Decision at Doona by Anne McCaffrey, and Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold (I like the Vorkosigan series...) and now I am rereading The Hobbit by some guy.
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Brisingr by Paolini. So far, so good.
Come on. Surely you've moved past the copyright information by now.
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Star Wars Saga Edition: Force Unleashed Handbook.
So far, this seems to be the best supplement yet! Lots of great campaign building rules, new starships, new PrCs! New talents, feats and force powers!
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The Professor and the Madman - Story of the creation of the OED.
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Saturn's Children by Charles Stross
Reaction and Reform: The Politics of the Conservative Party Under R. B. Bennett - 1927-1938, by Larry Glassford
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"Bruce Canfield's Complete Guide to United States Military Combat Shotguns"
Enlightening!
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Finally, on book 5 of the Belgariad series. Frakking school and life takes away SOOO much book reading time.
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Finally, on book 5 of the Belgariad series. Frakking school and life takes away SOOO much book reading time.
How is that series? I've heard good things, but I've never had the time to read them.
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I love all of the characters. If it's one thing Eddings and his wife can do, it's develop characters... and overarching plots.
I think it's entertaining. It's a typical good guy versus bad guy fantasy story, but it's really neat the way they write it.
READ THEM. :D
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It's a cute series.
Each character has a schtick and sticks to it : you've got the Devious guy, the Lawful Stupid guy, etc...
I like it but I read it when I was young. I don't know how I'd find it if I read it for the first time now.
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Yeah, you make a good point. Eddings does write cute. *shrugs* AC still likes the series. He just recently re-read them all. And I like them...
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I'm not attacking your taste. :D
I liked them the last time I re-read them, maybe 2 years ago. But re-reads are different, they're more like meeting old friends :) - hence the caveat.
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I'm grinding through "The Good, the Bad, and the Undead" by Kim Harrison. It is book 2 in her series of books.
Book 1 was ok, book 2 just isn't doing it for me right now.
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Edited to say: I just finished this book and wow the second half really picked up. The plot elements all came together nicely, answered questions from book 1, and setup book 3 onwards very nicely.
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I just finished the Dresden series up to book 9. I love that series and can't wait to pick up book 10 in paperback.
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its been ages, but i broke down and read the first 3 of the True blood books, (Southern Vampire series)..
will probably finish the series...
its not high art, but it passes my time at work.. and i know who the killer in season one is...
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Marley & Me by John Grogan
So many people have told me I should read this since we got our Lab, that when I saw it at a garage sale for 75 cents I went ahead and snagged it. Not too far in at the moment, but it's possible that I paid too much... :-\
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Aww I thought that book was cute. It made me miss my doggy so much! I think the stories are funny, but that's just me.
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Truth be told, now that I'm further in I'm liking it more. I still have major issues with the owners (buying a pup without doing any research on breeds, not starting training sooner, not neutering sooner, etc.), and there's more "Me" than "Marley", but some of the stories are really cute and remind me of River, the way she rides in the car (front paws propped on the center console, little head swiveling back and forth to see everything), our ongoing efforts to get the concept of fetch into her head... "Within weeks, we we had a hard time remembering what life had been like without our new boarder." That pretty much says it all.
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Talon Of The Silver Hawk, By Raymond E. Fiest. I finally broke down and bought everything that I know of set in Midkemia so I can stop guessing at what he's referencing in later books.
The Fifth Elephant, by Terry Pratchett. Again :D. I was crushed when I heard about his health crisis.
The History Of The Pelopennesian War, by Thucydides. No, it's not required reading, as I'm not in school.
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I love all of the characters. If it's one thing Eddings and his wife can do, it's develop characters... and overarching plots.
I think it's entertaining. It's a typical good guy versus bad guy fantasy story, but it's really neat the way they write it.
READ THEM. :D
The problem with the Eddings is that they recycle those archetypes. Read one of their series and you tend to have read all of them. The Belgariad is more or less the same as the first series in the Sparhawk books (the Elenium?), which is close to the Dreamers series. The Mallorean is about the same as the second Sparhawk series. Take a look at Book 1 of the Dreamers and tell me if Redbeard doesn't scream "Barak!!" at you.
A couple of the newer writers that I have found to be quite good is Anne Bishop (Black Jewel Trilogy, The Invisible Ring, Landscapes of Ephemera Duology) and Donna Gillespie (The Lightbringer). The Black Jewel Trilogy is very atypical of fantasy stories. You'll have to read it to get how different it is. The Lightbringer is pretty heavy going, and requires some knowledge of Roman history circa 70AD to get the full impact, but even without, it is pretty darned good.
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well, im 5 books into that sookie stackhouse series... it aint great..
the author is painting her self into a corner... but since i dont have book 6 handy i have moved on to discworld.
never read any of the dw books before, im starting with nanny oggs cookbook.. pretty funny...
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Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher. Well, actually just finished and hope to get second in series today.
Man, Economy, and State by Murray Rothbard
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The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals - by Jane Mayer
It's always interesting to read what the government gets away with, what kinds of false information everyone receives, and how our so-called morals are disintegrating before our very eyes. Or maybe they aren't to some, a lot of people seem to not know what they are, or should be for that matter.
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Man, Economy, and State by Murray Rothbard
A friend of mine bought this a few weeks back, but haven't had the chance to read it yet, so I'll ask you: Is it any good?
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Man, Economy, and State by Murray Rothbard
A friend of mine bought this a few weeks back, but haven't had the chance to read it yet, so I'll ask you: Is it any good?
hehe, so far it is just mostly VERY Long. It has been very good so far as well. It is an interesting and well written (though certainly can be dry but hell this is economics and political theory type stuff).
I've got it on PDF. You can get it in that format free. I am going to see if I can get it from the library though.
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I dislike reading books on my computer, so I'll just borrow it the book from the aforementioned friend some day. Though I am an amateur at economics, it is interesting, so length is no obstacle. Cheers for the tip.
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i have always bitched about reading stuff on the computer...
but i have started to recently... i find if i ctrl+ html text, it gets big, and i can read it from a distance.. set the mouse to scroll down and start reading.. like the starwars intro..
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I. C. Esslemont's Return of the Crimson Guard - part of the Malazan series which I'm a fan of. Damn good.
E. Hamilton's (Greek) Mythology. I used to love mythology and know a lot about it, but I forgot much of it. I used to take it mostly as a bunch of stories, whereas now I get to understand the underlying "philosophy".
It's hard to imagine the relation between the Greeks and their gods - they have very human defects and yet...
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i have always bitched about reading stuff on the computer...
but i have started to recently... i find if i ctrl+ html text, it gets big, and i can read it from a distance.. set the mouse to scroll down and start reading.. like the starwars intro..
You can do ctl+ in the foxit pdf reader, and then scroll with the mouse wheel.
My biggest problem with reading from a computer is that for some reason I still prefer taking notes in a notebook. Tping text into a computer doesn't really fix information into my head the same way that taking notes with a pen does.
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I finally finished reading Magician: Apprentice and am now on to Magician: Master. That only took me 8 months, woohoO!
Pug just completed his training, and Tomas is turning into a badass. These books have been pretty good, hope they don't turn into pulp as the series goes on.
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I finally finished reading Magician: Apprentice and am now on to Magician: Master. That only took me 8 months, woohoO!
Pug just completed his training, and Tomas is turning into a badass. These books have been pretty good, hope they don't turn into pulp as the series goes on.
The Riftwar series doesn't turn to pulp at any time, really. D&D players are often especially drawn toward it because the series itself is based on a D&D campaign (2e, if I recall correctly) that Fiest DMed. That and he's a wonder for getting you to turn pages to see how they deal with the latest impending DOOOOOOOM!
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The Magic Army about the American Army in England before D-Day.
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I finally finished reading Magician: Apprentice and am now on to Magician: Master. That only took me 8 months, woohoO!
Pug just completed his training, and Tomas is turning into a badass. These books have been pretty good, hope they don't turn into pulp as the series goes on.
The Riftwar series doesn't turn to pulp at any time, really. D&D players are often especially drawn toward it because the series itself is based on a D&D campaign (2e, if I recall correctly) that Fiest DMed. That and he's a wonder for getting you to turn pages to see how they deal with the latest impending DOOOOOOOM!
OK being corrected when I'm not wrong is one of my biggest peeves so I'm sorry if I offend ya, but I thought that R.E. Feist actually made up a percentile system with his buddies in college. Is that what they played? Also, IIRC, the book is almost as old, if not older than, 2e (2e came out in '90 or '91, I think)
I'm currently reading Small Favor, by Jim Butcher
And a compilation of A.C. Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories.
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I finally finished reading Magician: Apprentice and am now on to Magician: Master. That only took me 8 months, woohoO!
Pug just completed his training, and Tomas is turning into a badass. These books have been pretty good, hope they don't turn into pulp as the series goes on.
The Riftwar series doesn't turn to pulp at any time, really. D&D players are often especially drawn toward it because the series itself is based on a D&D campaign (2e, if I recall correctly) that Fiest DMed. That and he's a wonder for getting you to turn pages to see how they deal with the latest impending DOOOOOOOM!
OK being corrected when I'm not wrong is one of my biggest peeves so I'm sorry if I offend ya, but I thought that R.E. Feist actually made up a percentile system with his buddies in college. Is that what they played? Also, IIRC, the book is almost as old, if not older than, 2e (2e came out in '90 or '91, I think)
I'm currently reading Small Favor, by Jim Butcher
And a compilation of A.C. Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories.
I wasn't speaking to correct you; I apologize if that was the impression I gave. You may be right about it predating 2e, but I've specifically seen an interview that said it started with a D&D group. Given the nature of D&D, it could very well have morphed into a homebrew percentage monstrosity at any point, of course. Especially 1st and 2nd ed.
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InnaBinder, I was saying that it was a peeve of mine, so I was apologizing in advance If I was incorrect in my correction of you. I don't recall having said anything about Magician: Apprentice/Master. :)
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I finally finished reading Magician: Apprentice and am now on to Magician: Master. That only took me 8 months, woohoO!
See, that was my issue. I loved Magician: Apprentice so much that I actually got that really big hardcopy that has both in one. But it's so long I never got around to reading the rest of the series...
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I finally finished reading Magician: Apprentice and am now on to Magician: Master. That only took me 8 months, woohoO!
See, that was my issue. I loved Magician: Apprentice so much that I actually got that really big hardcopy that has both in one. But it's so long I never got around to reading the rest of the series...
It is an excellent series. I recently re-read the series, and it reminded me what I like about fantasy stories.
Right now, I'm working my way through Children of the Mind, the last of the Ender's Game series.
I'm trying to decide if it's worth it to read the companion series.
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Oh, as an update, I just finished that new book in the Dragonlance universe. Still can't remember the name, but it's the first in the Elven Exiles series... I give it a 6 out of 10. Ok story, Ok characterization... Ok ending. Nothing really stood out as very good or very bad... I liked Gilthas, and the Lioness was Ok, I actually really liked one of the villains, Hengriff. So there you have it, take it for what it's worth. : P
Now on to Confessor (Last in Sword of Truth series)
AngelBlade
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The sword of truth series was good, up to a point.
I really, really enjoyed the story, but Goodkind made an error that I though he'd avoid.
He stops the plot every so often to give a short exposition on why his (the main characters') views are right.
When you read the subtext, it's more than blatantly obvious that he supports capitalism and damns communism and socialism (and organized religion), and he shouldn't have to stop his plot to tell the reader about it.
His ability to move the plot was why I got hooked with his books for a while, but later books had a lot more short essays than were needed.
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yeah, i agree to a point. the first 3 books were great... but going from the 4th-ish, to the 7th-ish, the sermonizing got old. But he seems to pick up the story again in the end, as far as i can tell. So we'll see how this last one goes, how he ties up all the loose ends.
AngelBlade
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Having read Confessor within the last week, I have to agree with Dan2: Goodkind just goes off on these philosophical tracts that is pages of one character talking about it. I think the worst of them was the Pillars of Creation, but I don't remember the exact title. I just remember skipping the first 2/3rds of the book because nothing happened, and people just talked a lot.
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<Fans of the Sword of Truth series... skip this post !>
I liked the first book, and so went on with the series. The quality was declining but I kept reading them... out of habit, I guess. Until Faith of the Fallen, where his unfettered objectivism (as in, fucking Ayn Rand's doctrine) just took over the plot. It was too much for me - I skipped quite a few pages at the end of the book and swore never to buy one of his works ever again.
In retrospect, I have trouble understanding what I liked about the muscled, powerful, handsome and daring hero with deus-ex-machina powers (he has no clue how to use them until the plot demands it !) and his beautiful wife saving the world again, and again, and again...
There are quite a few parodies of his work on the Internet - some of them funny.
[spoiler]From http://sandstormreviews.blogspot.com/2006/08/some-general-goodkind-parodies-or-ones.html (yes, I realize some will find it lame)
As he stalked into the gloominess of the dark cavern, his eyes ajusted to the gloominess, they're puples widening to let in more light. From the corner of his peripheral vision he could barely scrutinize a mysterious object in the gloom ahead. Ponderusly he edged further into the dark cavern, getting himself deeper into it and closer to the more distant and non-proximus parts of the cave. Whom was there he could not fathom to think. Whom? Indeed.
Suddenly, a slow movement of the obstructed object he had been looking at caught his eye. It was nothing but an avariciously meticulus specter of ashen fury. Turning towards it he got into a war stance like no other war stance. The luminous walls of the dark groto thrummed with the power that was corsing through his pulsing veins. It seemed as though everyone stood still, holding their aspirations, tension filling the air.
"You there, I can see you, I know you are there. Get out and stand up right now, this is your final warning," he howled through clenched teeth.
The object wheeled about and through itself at him with a sudden lurch. Almost imperseptably fast, and with amazing speed, he whipped around, turning, and dropped into a fighting stance. Before anyone knew what was going on, he slowly stealed himself and gathered his rage for his assault. When it came, it came so fast that even the damp walls of the cave shuddered with exhilerant surprise. He shattered the object's face with a single blow of the sword. Bits of unidentifiable brain, skin and bone fragments sprayed everywhere, oozing.
"You can come in, now," he called out to the outside of the cave. And the goat entered, flooding the enclosed space with silent nobility.
[/spoiler]
See http://sandstormreviews.blogspot.com/2006/08/goodkind-parodies.html for a list of horrifying trivia.
I'll leave you with a quote : "[This chicken] was not a chicken. It was Evil incarnate."
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The Summoner by Gail Z. Martin. An extremely stereotypical fantasy novel rife with cliches and stock characters and author/divine intervention. Recently, it seems like it took a huge page from D&D with spell levels and whatnot. I keep expecting to see stuff like "Tris studied the spell carefully, learning each motion and gesture of the Fireball spell." But I don't. I wouldn't have even bothered with this book if it didn't have a cool cover (I'm a sucker) and it didn't involve necromancy and undead pretty heavily. Those are about it's only redeeming qualities.
What I should be reading: The Blade Itself (Joe Ambercrombie). Or The Book of the New Sun (Gene Wolfe) or maybe The Name of the Wind (Patrick Rothfuss, who has one of the most brutal beards I've seen in a long while).
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Re-reading The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan, and Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.
...apparently The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is also in a the library, so I'll be reading that as well.
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Re-reading "A brief history of time" by Stephen Hawking.
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I finished the final Eddings book a while ago... now I'm moving onto Kushiel's Dart. I've been told it'll turn me on hardcore. I'm excited. :D
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finished all the sookie books... she should have stopped at one... anywho on to discworld... equal rights is halfway done..
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Neil Gaimans Graveyard book. cheating on it, its an audio book..
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Graveyard, as kids books go was pretty good..
moving on to Neal Stephenson's Anathem, also cheating.. another audio book..
this puts me @ 10 - 15 books in about a month.. havent read so much since the 90s...
im digging the MS lit reader... (there is another pc reader i like better but i cant recall its name..)
scratch Anathem, its not holding my attention.. back to discworld..
Equal Rights was cute..
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The Summoner by Gail Z. Martin. An extremely stereotypical fantasy novel rife with cliches and stock characters and author/divine intervention. Recently, it seems like it took a huge page from D&D with spell levels and whatnot. I keep expecting to see stuff like "Tris studied the spell carefully, learning each motion and gesture of the Fireball spell." But I don't. I wouldn't have even bothered with this book if it didn't have a cool cover (I'm a sucker) and it didn't involve necromancy and undead pretty heavily. Those are about it's only redeeming qualities.
What I should be reading: The Blade Itself (Joe Ambercrombie). Or The Book of the New Sun (Gene Wolfe) or maybe The Name of the Wind (Patrick Rothfuss, who has one of the most brutal beards I've seen in a long while).
Everyone: Read The Name of the Wind. It is seven different kinds of awesome. Of special note is the test from the Master Namer. Puts all those "wise master" sequences to shame. It's like A Song of Ice and Fire, except good things happen some of the time. And more magic.
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Aliens: Colonial Marines Technical Manual
Haven't looked through this thing in ages! :D
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Everyone: Read The Name of the Wind.
*requests it from the library* That does look good. Thanks for the recommendation. :D
I finished up The Hunger Games and it was surprisingly good for YA fiction. Very quick read. Back to re-reading The Dragon Reborn and Ender's Game.
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I love Wikipedia page hopping!
Cthulhu > Mi-Go > Brain in a vat > Evil daemon > Omphalos (theology) > Here is a hand...
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Anyone here read the Lensmen series before?
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I just read Tao of Pooh (it was for a class). I actually really liked it. I recommend it to everyone... it really helps you, to quote my teacher, "chill out."
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Path of the Fury - David Weber. Fun book.
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pooh changed me life...
piglet was good also..
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I just read Tao of Pooh (it was for a class). I actually really liked it. I recommend it to everyone... it really helps you, to quote my teacher, "chill out."
That was my old roommate's favourite book!
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It's a pretty amazing book. I'm glad that I had to read it. It's really full of profound insight that I would've been too BUSY to notice before.
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Has anyone ever read "A Short History of Nearly Everything"?
I read it a couple years ago, IIRC it was pretty informative. Takes you from the Big Bang to the Nuclear Age. Too bad all I really remember is some Baron that liked to collect rocks, inadvertantly helping to found Geology.
I'm almost done with Magician: Master. Milamber is a badass, dunno why people didn't vote for him in my Wizard thread from forever ago. Which reminds me, I need to write up that last battle...
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i had it as an audio book... very interesting..
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Not reading these yet, but I ordered George Carlin's Napalm and putty and When will Jesus bring the pork chops. They ought to be awesome.
And I read A short history of nearly everything in August, I really liked it.
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Fahrenheit 451
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I just finished reading Jennifer Government. *winks at Tshern*
The plot was pretty good but the characterization was subpar at times. Still, a nice read - especially for the NationStates crowd.
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Fahrenheit 451
And in a similar vein, I'm reading Something Wicked This Way Comes.
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I just finished reading Jennifer Government. *winks at Tshern*
The plot was pretty good but the characterization was subpar at times. Still, a nice read - especially for the NationStates crowd.
You can tell the author had relatively little experience, but the book itself is entertaining.
And I got my first Carlin book yesterday, haven't started with it yet though.
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Beowulf - bought new, with notes scribbled in by a bookstore browser. :notam
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And I got my first Carlin book yesterday, haven't started with it yet though.
Have fun with those. I've got all three of his books, and they are without a doubt some of the funniest books I have ever purchased. Everyone here should get a copy, it's worth the money.
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And I got my first Carlin book yesterday, haven't started with it yet though.
Have fun with those. I've got all three of his books, and they are without a doubt some of the funniest books I have ever purchased. Everyone here should get a copy, it's worth the money.
Still waiting for my When will Jesus bring the pork chops?, because they had none available in Finland. Shipping it all the way from England...
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I'm finishing Pullman's His Dark Materials at the moment, I'm right in the middle of The Amber Spyglass. Veeery nice.
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Finished the Gormenghast trilogy, it was good, would have been excelent but for the end of the third book, which kind of brought the rest of it down for me.
Now I'm reading The Riddle of the Wren, by Charles deLint, my absolute favorite author.
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I'm now onto The Shadow Rising in the Wheel of Time series. Not having to wait years between the books has made reading them (over) a great deal more enjoyable.
I'm also starting The Name of the Wind which someone(s) here recommended.
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I'm now onto The Shadow Rising in the Wheel of Time series. Not having to wait years between the books has made reading them (over) a great deal more enjoyable.
I'm also starting The Name of the Wind which someone(s) here recommended.
That would be me. You'll thank me before too long.
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Finished the Gormenghast trilogy, it was good, would have been excelent but for the end of the third book, which kind of brought the rest of it down for me.
The author died before finishing the book, hence the somewhat unsatisfying conclusion. It was supposed to be at least five books long, not ending part-way through book 3. Another unfortunate death.
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Finished the Gormenghast trilogy, it was good, would have been excelent but for the end of the third book, which kind of brought the rest of it down for me.
The author died before finishing the book, hence the somewhat unsatisfying conclusion. It was supposed to be at least five books long, not ending part-way through book 3. Another unfortunate death.
Oh, I hadn't realized...and that does explain it. Makes me sad though :(
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The Banjo & Kazooie Nuts and Bolts cheat book because the text on the screen is so eye bleeding small, I have no clue what the hell the objective is, what I'm supposed to do, where to go and so on.
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The Banjo & Kazooie Nuts and Bolts cheat book because the text on the screen is so eye bleeding small, I have no clue what the hell the objective is, what I'm supposed to do, where to go and so on.
That makes me sad. Banjo Kazooie isn't supposed to suck. >.>;;
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Alta by Mercedes Lackey
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The Call of Cthulhu and Other Strange Stories.
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Just finished Ender's Shadow. Good read, now its a tossup between Shadow of the Hedgemon or War of the Twins.
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I'm finally almost done with The Singularity Is Near. I think after this I'll either be reading An Evil Guest by Gene Wolfe or House of Leaves.
Then maybe start rereading the Solar Cycle.
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…
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I'm currently reading the Complete Chronicles of Conan; all the published Robert E Howard Conan stories, none of the derived works.
A friend of mine has been telling me for years about how cool Conan is in the stories, nothing like the movies, great pulp fiction etc. So far, so good!
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I recently read this as assigned reading:
(http://www.simonsays.com/assets/isbn/1416576754/C_1416576754.jpg)
Before anyone asks, here's me at the den.
It wasn't assigned by a prof. It was assigned by a chick I RP with. She wanted me to expand my base for writing smut. Also, it seems that the male lead in the book is suspiciously like myself in a number of respects. She wanted to show me a book written about myself it seems.
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The Devil in the White City
It contrasts the events of the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 with the activities of H. H. Holmes.
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(http://www.simonsays.com/assets/isbn/1416576754/C_1416576754.jpg)
(http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?action=dlattach;attach=570;type=avatar)
Yeah, the colorings of your Avatar are quite similar to the book cover, and ... Charm Person and Flesh to Stone could be rather romantic.
Although WotC_Mel didn't think so.
[/humor alert]
**
I'm reading the Hedgehog Review - After Secularism issue.
{ ... insert Unplugged Snobbery titled Smiley face ... }
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Just finished Ender's Shadow. Good read, now its a tossup between Shadow of the Hedgemon or War of the Twins.
I myself just started Ender in Exile, the new Ender book that just came out last year. I've read everything else in the Enderverse. How much of the series have you read?
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A friend gave me Eye of the World to read a few weeks ago, Its pretty good, but I have a feeling alot of the people on these boards have already read it so I won't go into detail.
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its one of the best of the series.. its been so long since i read the first few WoT books that i dont recall which ones were best.. other than just saying the first half.. i would say the first three are overall the best.. might be first 4.. .
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A friend gave me Eye of the World to read a few weeks ago, Its pretty good, but I have a feeling alot of the people on these boards have already read it so I won't go into detail.
Been trying to find a copy of this for my girlfriend. None of the local libraries have it. I'm almost finished Bad Prince Charlie, it's a fairly funny satirical fantasy-type novel.
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Complete Idiot's Guide to Learning French.
I went to French Immersion for elementary school and jr.high, but haven't really used it in the 15 years since, and recently discovered that I've forgotten nearly all of the vocabulary and a good chunk of the grammar. Now one of my English students wants to learn French, so I'd better brush up! :o
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I know the feeling. Swedish is our second official language, but I haven't really used it after I went through the matriculation exam around four years ago. Kills your vocab pretty darn quick, but I only need five minutes to start picking it up again. Good thing I have a few cousin who speak Swedish...
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NjThjinDDQ
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I'm also starting The Name of the Wind which someone(s) here recommended.
That would be me. You'll thank me before too long.
With the holidays and all it has taken far longer than I thought, but thank you. :D I loved it. I eagerly look forward to the second book which appears to be due out in April...
Now onto Lord of Chaos, by Robert Jordan. Then maybe The Host, by Stephanie Meyer. And I still need to re-read Ender's Game and the Twilight series.
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And now I'm onto The Unhandsome Prince, also by the author of Bad Prince Charlie, John Moore. This one's a fairy tale parody in which the frog prince turns out to be kinda a dweeb.
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I just finished Kushiel's Dart. I'm impressed with the amount of different shit that went on in that book. The ending made me go NO FUCKING WAY!!!! But that's a different story.
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Arrrgh! I'm all outta books again!
I alternated back and forth between my Call of Cthulhu and Other Strange Stories, and The Devil in the White City, and I finally finished the last bit last night!
What should I read? I'm thinking of getting into the Dark Tower series, but that may get expensive... Are there any D&D related books that you guys'd recommend?
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I FINALLY got a copy of Watchmen, and read it strait through yesterday. I've been meaning to get it for years now, and with the movie coming out, I had to get it stat. So long story short, quis coustodiet ipsos custodes?
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Arrrgh! I'm all outta books again!
I alternated back and forth between my Call of Cthulhu and Other Strange Stories, and The Devil in the White City, and I finally finished the last bit last night!
What should I read? I'm thinking of getting into the Dark Tower series, but that may get expensive... Are there any D&D related books that you guys'd recommend?
If you haven't read the Dark Tower yet, I would definitely recommend it!
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The only King I've read so far was The Stand.
Just ordered the Gunslinger (revised edition) off Amazon. Should have it in a few days. :D
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Started reading a book about Stalin's life until 1917, very interesting. It's a fresh book, from 2007 I think, and has heaps of previously unreleased material. I own the first Stalin book of the same writer, The Court of the Red Czar, and it was awesome as well.
Notably, this is my first book in Finnish for over a year. Next one is a Kafka, can't wait...
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Still need to find the time to continue Malazan Book of the Fallen - Gardens of the Moon.
I just don't like reading for something like 30 minutes, I want to just sit down and read at least for 2-3 hours...
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Cyrano de Bergerac.
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The Medieval Underworld - A history of undesirables in the Middle Ages. Just finished the Vatta's War series by Elizabeth Moon.
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quis coustodiet ipsos custodes?
Commander Vimes does.
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Crescent City Rhapsody by Kathleen Ann Goonan. Interesting read about uses and abuses of nanotechnology. What Bruce Sterling tried for but failed I'd say.
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I just finished Kushiel's Dart. I'm impressed with the amount of different shit that went on in that book. The ending made me go NO FUCKING WAY!!!! But that's a different story.
I haven't read the Kushiel series, but her Banewreaker and Godslayer books are some of the best fiction I've ever read. I liked them so much that even though the plotlines listed on the back covers of the Kushiel books make me go 'meh.', I'm still tempted to read them just because the author is so skilled.
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Finally started reading Stephen King's The Gunslinger (Dark Tower series) for the first time yesterday. Lost track of time, and when I finally looked up, I had gone through half of the book in just a couple of hours.
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I just finished Kushiel's Dart. I'm impressed with the amount of different shit that went on in that book. The ending made me go NO FUCKING WAY!!!! But that's a different story.
I haven't read the Kushiel series, but her Banewreaker and Godslayer books are some of the best fiction I've ever read. I liked them so much that even though the plotlines listed on the back covers of the Kushiel books make me go 'meh.', I'm still tempted to read them just because the author is so skilled.
You have to get into them. The first hundred pages are seemingly meaningless-I'm sure if I read through the entire book again I'd get a whole lot more out of them now, but it's all just a bunch of name dropping and who's who. I found it boring. Then the sex came, and brought my attention quickly back to the story. :D
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Currently reading the Vampire Hunter D series, but I only have the first five and am already on book three.
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Just finished Shadow of the Hedgemon. I liked it, the kids from Battle School playing Risk with the world. Now on to the next, Shadow Puppets.
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just finished american gods, abit predictable but not bad.. sorta like dirk gently.. so points for that...
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I'm currently on book 5 of the Belisarius saga, by Eric Flint and David Drake. I've read several of Flint's alt-history series (I thoroughly enjoyed the 1632 series, even if I think those the most un-racist West Virginians who ever lived, and his 1812 alt-hist was brilliant), and this one is of equal quality. I wouldn't rank it up with Tolkein or Martin, but it's a great read and keeps my interest.
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Rereading Everville by Clive Barker.
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Grimm Fairytales
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I just finished re-reading Ender's Game and it was every bit as brilliant as I remembered. Shorter though, I recall it taking longer to read that two days.
I'm now continuing on in the Wheel of Time series...A Crown of Swords (Book 7).
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er, you have hit the wall... 5000 more pages of blah...
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Just finished re-reading The Sword of Shannara. Had that book since elementary school. It no longer has either cover, and the edges of the pages are so worn that it looks like I found it in some dungeon somewhere. :p
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I'm now continuing on in the Wheel of Time series...A Crown of Swords (Book 7).
My condolences. But to each his own, as well. I just ... that series had some good ideas. About enough for three really good books. He takes longer to make anything happen than Tolkien does finish what he's saying.
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Yeah...if I recall correctly from my first attempt at this series this is about the part in the series that I started skimming forward to the parts with characters I actually found interesting.
Reading about one a month I should be done with Jordan's part of the series right on time, more or less, to pick up Sanderson's ending to it.
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Doing the same, though I've been having fun with skimming ahead on one character's story thread through the whole book, then going back and doing another's.
Like for example: Mat in White Tower->pwns Galad/Gawyn->gets clearance from Egwene and co.->gambles Tar Valon broke->escapes with Thom->assassins->fireworks->assassins->Andor->Palace->finds plot->Tear->The Rescue.
Then go on to the girls' thread, which is just as coherent.
I'd bet you could turn each book into 3-4 narratives. And it seems faster that way, somehow, when you aren't skipping between several points of view every couple of chapters. The whole "Perrin Goldeneyes of the Two Rivers" arc is practically it's own novel.
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Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey
http://www.jacquelinecarey.com/books.htm
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Thats an awesome idea, veekie. I think I'm gonna do that next time I read 'em.... which will probably be my 4th or 5th trip.
Speaking overly drawn out novels that make you want to kill yourself, has anyone ever attempted Tad Williams' "Otherland" series? 3500 pages, and I could not complete the last 500. Seriously.
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I read the first seven Wheel of Time books. I enjoyed the first book quite a bit, and even the next two were pretty good. Four through Six were tedious. Seven seemed to pick up a bit, but then I found other books to read.
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I'm starting "The Art of Sign Language" by Christopher Brown because I don't like not being able to communicate with some deaf people, especially children, whom I occasionally meet.
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I nearly started the Twilight series, but then I thought to myself, "No... I'd rather drive dozens of needles into my eyeballs than subject my mind to such utter tripe!"
I mean seriously. Teenaged emo vampires who SPARKLE in sunlight? If it wasn't already a book series and feature film, I'd think it was a prank!
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I nearly started the Twilight series, but then I thought to myself, "No... I'd rather drive dozens of needles into my eyeballs than subject my mind to such utter tripe!"
I mean seriously. Teenaged emo vampires who SPARKLE in sunlight? If it wasn't already a book series and feature film, I'd think it was a prank!
Wait....they sparkle? Seriously!?!?! And to think that I once ranted about how Bram Stoker got it wrong....
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except Stoker's Dracula has become so synonymous with vampires in the public's imagination that if vampires don't conform to his standards, then they're wrong. God help us if that becomes true for twilight.
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*shudders*
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Thats an awesome idea, veekie. I think I'm gonna do that next time I read 'em.... which will probably be my 4th or 5th trip.
Speaking overly drawn out novels that make you want to kill yourself, has anyone ever attempted Tad Williams' "Otherland" series? 3500 pages, and I could not complete the last 500. Seriously.
Finished it. Overly wordy, but worthwhile read, imo. I just wish he'd tightened it up.
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Cyrano de Bergerac.
Did you read that in French or in some other language ? I really wonder what a translation could be like...
I've reread much of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series (awesome...) and I'm now half-way into Joe Abercrombie's Last Arguments of Kings - very nice ! I recommend that series (which starts with The Blade Itself).
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Hero of the Shadows - David Gemmell. One of the Waylander books.
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Cyrano de Bergerac.
Did you read that in French or in some other language ? I really wonder what a translation could be like...
In French, but I've read a decent translation before.
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Death of a Salesman and Hamlet for school.
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The former is awesome, the latter sucks.
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Really? I quite enjoy Hamlet, and Shakespeare in general, and find Death of a Salesman to be borderline tedious.
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I dislike Shakespeare. He sure uses a lot of words, but that doesn't really make up the lack of actual content. I just can't read Shakespeare without falling asleep.
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You want content? Read Titus Andronicus.
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Princess Ben: Being a Wholly Truthful Account of Her Various Discoveries and Misadventures, Recounted to the Best of Her Recollection, in Four Parts (http://www.amazon.com/Princess-Ben-Catherine-Murdock/dp/0618959718/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235184238&sr=8-1) by Catherine Murdock. It's YA fiction...modern day faerie tale or some such.
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I'm rereading the Sword of Truth series, just finished book one earlier today. It's interesting that the only part that I really remembered was the extreme Dominant/ Submissive relationship towards the end...
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I keep meaning to try again with that series. I've made it most of the way through book one twice and then...I don't know? I hear that it's good, I like the parts that I remember, I don't know what keeps stopping me. I'll put it back on my to read list, may have to wait a while though.
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I'm rereading the Sword of Truth series, just finished book one earlier today. It's interesting that the only part that I really remembered was the extreme Dominant/ Submissive relationship towards the end...
That, "This was no chicken. This was evil manifest." and that speech about "Fire is bad", are all I can recall of the series.
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I don't think that the chicken line was in the first book, I don't remember it. And yeah, "Fire is bad" is all over book one, heh.
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The chicken line was in, I think the book with the chimes, whatitsname again. The one with the super killgongs.
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Currently reading 1984, by George Orwell, for school.
Liking it so far too.
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^Good read, although I preferred Animal Farm
Currently reading Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. Cool beans.
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^Good read, although I preferred Animal Farm
Currently reading Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. Cool beans.
You aren't allowed to say "Cool beans." That's my phrase.
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^Good read, although I preferred Animal Farm
Currently reading Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. Cool beans.
You aren't allowed to say "Cool beans." That's my phrase.
Sharing is caring.
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^Good read, although I preferred Animal Farm
Currently reading Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. Cool beans.
You aren't allowed to say "Cool beans." That's my phrase.
Sixth, without me there would be no you. Everything that is yours is a hand-me-down from me.
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^Good read, although I preferred Animal Farm
Currently reading Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. Cool beans.
You aren't allowed to say "Cool beans." That's my phrase.
Sixth, without me there would be no you. Everything that is yours is a hand-me-down from me.
Except my girlfriend..... You never were a lady-killer in school.
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^Good read, although I preferred Animal Farm
Currently reading Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. Cool beans.
You aren't allowed to say "Cool beans." That's my phrase.
Sixth, without me there would be no you. Everything that is yours is a hand-me-down from me.
Except my girlfriend..... You never were a lady-killer in school.
I could've been, except for... that thing... with that girl...
Ya'know. :lol
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The chicken line was in, I think the book with the chimes, whatitsname again. The one with the super killgongs.
The Soul of the Fire (is bad)
Those were some awesome gong things though, the Dominie Dirch or whatever-the-fuck.
Mord-Sith are hawt
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^Good read, although I preferred Animal Farm
Currently reading Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. Cool beans.
You aren't allowed to say "Cool beans." That's my phrase.
Sixth, without me there would be no you. Everything that is yours is a hand-me-down from me.
Except my girlfriend..... You never were a lady-killer in school.
I could've been, except for... that thing... with that girl...
Ya'know. :lol
Vagina? :flutter :lmao
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^Good read, although I preferred Animal Farm
Currently reading Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. Cool beans.
You aren't allowed to say "Cool beans." That's my phrase.
Sixth, without me there would be no you. Everything that is yours is a hand-me-down from me.
Except my girlfriend..... You never were a lady-killer in school.
I could've been, except for... that thing... with that girl...
Ya'know. :lol
That thing.... with that girl.....
From our very awesome class where we did the most epic project on Clodius and Milo?
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^Good read, although I preferred Animal Farm
Currently reading Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. Cool beans.
You aren't allowed to say "Cool beans." That's my phrase.
Sixth, without me there would be no you. Everything that is yours is a hand-me-down from me.
Except my girlfriend..... You never were a lady-killer in school.
I could've been, except for... that thing... with that girl...
Ya'know. :lol
That thing.... with that girl.....
From our very awesome class where we did the most epic project on Clodius and Milo?
My gods, that thing was amazing. And yes. until second half of (my) senior year...
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^Good read, although I preferred Animal Farm
Currently reading Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. Cool beans.
You aren't allowed to say "Cool beans." That's my phrase.
Sixth, without me there would be no you. Everything that is yours is a hand-me-down from me.
Except my girlfriend..... You never were a lady-killer in school.
I could've been, except for... that thing... with that girl...
Ya'know. :lol
That thing.... with that girl.....
From our very awesome class where we did the most epic project on Clodius and Milo?
My gods, that thing was amazing. And yes. until second half of (my) senior year...
Ahh... I see. Now you're just making excuses!
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I'm one of the only people I know who enjoys Hemingway. Yes, you have to almost literally chew through it, but I do enjoy his stories. The Old Man and the Sea was a great read.
I didn't care for the Sword of Truth series. I got really bored reading it, and it seemed like a rip-off of a lot of Jordan's concepts and ideas.
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Finally read "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?"
It was very different from the Blade Runner movie, which I now must re-watch because I haven't seen it in ages!
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^Good read, although I preferred Animal Farm
Currently reading Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. Cool beans.
You aren't allowed to say "Cool beans." That's my phrase.
Sixth, without me there would be no you. Everything that is yours is a hand-me-down from me.
Except my girlfriend..... You never were a lady-killer in school.
I could've been, except for... that thing... with that girl...
Ya'know. :lol
That thing.... with that girl.....
From our very awesome class where we did the most epic project on Clodius and Milo?
My gods, that thing was amazing. And yes. until second half of (my) senior year...
Ahh... I see. Now you're just making excuses!
My experience has shown that as soon as she was removed from the picture, girls were lining up.
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My experience has shown that as soon as she was removed from the picture, girls were lining up.
Queues go both ways. :P
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The chicken line was in, I think the book with the chimes, whatitsname again. The one with the super killgongs.
The Soul of the Fire (is bad)
Those were some awesome gong things though, the Dominie Dirch or whatever-the-fuck.
Mord-Sith are hawt
Ah, yes, yeah, the Dominie Dirch, gongs that puree whatever's on the field when they are rung. Pity they are so easy to bypass.
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^Good read, although I preferred Animal Farm
Currently reading Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. Cool beans.
You aren't allowed to say "Cool beans." That's my phrase.
Sixth, without me there would be no you. Everything that is yours is a hand-me-down from me.
Except my girlfriend..... You never were a lady-killer in school.
I could've been, except for... that thing... with that girl...
Ya'know. :lol
That thing.... with that girl.....
From our very awesome class where we did the most epic project on Clodius and Milo?
My gods, that thing was amazing. And yes. until second half of (my) senior year...
Ahh... I see. Now you're just making excuses!
My experience has shown that as soon as she was removed from the picture, girls were lining up.
Because you attract trouble.
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^Good read, although I preferred Animal Farm
Currently reading Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. Cool beans.
You aren't allowed to say "Cool beans." That's my phrase.
Sixth, without me there would be no you. Everything that is yours is a hand-me-down from me.
Except my girlfriend..... You never were a lady-killer in school.
I could've been, except for... that thing... with that girl...
Ya'know. :lol
That thing.... with that girl.....
From our very awesome class where we did the most epic project on Clodius and Milo?
My gods, that thing was amazing. And yes. until second half of (my) senior year...
Ahh... I see. Now you're just making excuses!
My experience has shown that as soon as she was removed from the picture, girls were lining up.
Because you attract trouble.
Yes, yes I do. Also, epic quote pyramid is epic.
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^Good read, although I preferred Animal Farm
Currently reading Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. Cool beans.
You aren't allowed to say "Cool beans." That's my phrase.
Sixth, without me there would be no you. Everything that is yours is a hand-me-down from me.
Except my girlfriend..... You never were a lady-killer in school.
I could've been, except for... that thing... with that girl...
Ya'know. :lol
That thing.... with that girl.....
From our very awesome class where we did the most epic project on Clodius and Milo?
My gods, that thing was amazing. And yes. until second half of (my) senior year...
Ahh... I see. Now you're just making excuses!
My experience has shown that as soon as she was removed from the picture, girls were lining up.
Because you attract trouble.
Yes, yes I do. Also, epic quote pyramid is epic.
I agree. It is quite interesting reading it.
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Moving this back on topic, I've moved on from Howl's Moving Castle and am now reading Castle in the Air.
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I'm one of the only people I know who enjoys Hemingway. Yes, you have to almost literally chew through it, but I do enjoy his stories. The Old Man and the Sea was a great read.
I didn't care for the Sword of Truth series. I got really bored reading it, and it seemed like a rip-off of a lot of Jordan's concepts and ideas.
Hemingway, bah.
And while I see some similarities between the Sword of Truth series and Jordan's books, the Sword of Truth series is actually readable straight through.
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Personal taste might apply though, I've read all of 3 Sword of Truth books(the first one, Soul of the Fire and one other I can't seem to recall), but have reread Wheel of Time something like 10 times by now.
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I can't read through the Wheel of Time books. I stop caring about everyone but Rand, and then Jordan started writing books that barely had Rand in them. That and whole huge sections are dedicated to boring meaningless things, like camping and travelling and whatnot. So yeah, personal tastes apply. :P
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Well, me, I love the Mat parts, and anything with channeling in it(more epic, the better), but can't stand Perrin and his Tsundere wife.
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As for me, the Perrin sections were my all time favorites. MAde the book with only one Perrin chapter more difficult to read. But I think that book had extra helpings of the awesome that is Thom.
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i lean toward perrin and matt, and thom the most...
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Moving this back on topic, I've moved on from Howl's Moving Castle and am now reading Castle in the Air.
By Stephan Hunt? Just finished that myself, if its the same author its a brilliant book. World's really flavourful, would make a great setting for a RPG system.
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Moving this back on topic, I've moved on from Howl's Moving Castle and am now reading Castle in the Air.
By Stephan Hunt? Just finished that myself, if its the same author its a brilliant book. World's really flavourful, would make a great setting for a RPG system.
Edit, cuz i'm bad at formating: No, it's a companion to Howl's Moving Castle, written by the same author, Diana Wynne Jones.
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Freakonomics
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I forgot to put up that I was onto book 8 of the Wheel of Time series...I wrapped up Path of Daggers last night and got started on Winter's Heart. If I remember right this is where I stopped reading the series previously, so everything from here on out is new (to me).
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Funny, Winter's Heart is where I stopped rockin' that series
I just couldn't do it. Tonnes of pages, and twenty of them
readable.
At this point I am rereading;
Ishmael-Daniel Quinn
Cheers,
ranlam
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The Singing Sword by Jack Whyte
Arthurian legend retold as historical fiction, stripped of mysticism and unexplained magic. The whole series is The Camulod Chronicles.
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Strangely, that reminds me of the last Robert Asprin book I read, 'For King and Country', about an SAS operative who goes back in time to the Arthurian period to stop an IRA terrorist from destroying England in its infancy. It was nothing like the Myth books, but still rather decent.
As for now, I'm reading "The Bren Gun Saga, revised and expanded edition", by Thomas B. Dugelby. Like pretty much everything put out by Collector Grade Publications, it's a definitive look at the evolution of the weapon in question. Of course, if you're not an absolute hoplophile like myself, it may be too technical and/or boring for your taste. But at least someone out there writes gun-related reference books that go beyond 'It shootz bulletz at teh badguyz!!!". It's really too bad that Dugelby's dead.
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Angels of Destruction by Keith Donohue
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The Old man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
Cheers,
ranlam
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Reread Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny again. Still blown away by how far ahead of most sci-fi/fantasy authors he was during his time. Reminds me that all of the old guard is fading or gone at this point.
David Weber has a new Honor Harrington book out now in hard back so I will borrow it from my dad when he is done.
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Ran out of Sword of Truth books so am re-reading the Chronicles of the Cheysuli series by Jennifer Roberson.
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Rereading Marvel 1602. Neil Gaiman is awesome.
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Rereading Marvel 1602. Neil Gaiman is awesome.
I wish I had a copy. :(
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I got it from the Library in my hometown, actually. They have a pretty decent collection of TPB Graphic novels and comic collections. I also got some elseworlds, some ultimate spiderman, and some ultimate x-men. Also, Marvel 1602 is really fucking good. I've read it before.
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I can almost guarantee that my hometown library has no graphic novels whatsover.
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I am quite prone to abuse the library of Turku University. The library in question gets a copy of all magazines and books printed in Finland, so its collections are quite extensive.
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The Prize- Daniel Yergin
Cheers,
ranlam
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Robert E. Howard - The Conquering Sword of Conan
It's a collection of Howard's later Conan stories: The Servants of Bit-Yakin, Beyond the Black River, The Black Stranger, The Man-Eaters of Zamboula, and Red Nails. All are unedited, uncut, and un-deCamped, as Howard intended them. See also The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian and The Bloody Crown of Conan, the two earlier compilations that include such excellent pieces as The Queen of the Black Coast and The Tower of the Elephant.
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Reread Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny again. Still blown away by how far ahead of most sci-fi/fantasy authors he was during his time. Reminds me that all of the old guard is fading or gone at this point.
I love that book ! One of my favourites ever - I reread it every other year.
It was actually a bit hard on the first read but I like books that mature with rereadings... *points at the Dune cycle*
I read Butcher's Storm Front recently - not bad but not as good as I'd hoped. I hear he gets better along the way so I'll try a later novel in the Harrison series.
I'm rereading Pratchett's Night Watch - nice.
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Currently reading Howl's Moving Castle
.. based on the movie or the other way around? - has anyone read 'confessions of an economic hitman'? what'd you think?
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Currently reading Howl's Moving Castle
.. based on the movie or the other way around? - has anyone read 'confessions of an economic hitman'? what'd you think?
The movie was based on the book. Very loosely.
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Crossroads of Twilight (Book 10) by Robert Jordan
Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
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Terry Pratchett's: Reaper Man
I can't stop laughing.
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The House of Many Ways-Diana Wynne Jones
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I just finished Terry Pratchett's "Going Postal", and am almost done with "Night Watch". Very good stuff. I've never read Pratchett before, other than Good Omens, and I'm starting to see what all the fuss is about.
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I just finished Terry Pratchett's "Going Postal", and am almost done with "Night Watch". Very good stuff. I've never read Pratchett before, other than Good Omens, and I'm starting to see what all the fuss is about.
The man's a freaking genius.
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I just finished Terry Pratchett's "Going Postal", and am almost done with "Night Watch". Very good stuff. I've never read Pratchett before, other than Good Omens, and I'm starting to see what all the fuss is about.
Good Omens is barely a Pratchett work, allegedly. Gaiman just wanted to use Pratchett's DEATH character. Night Watch is preceded by several books, starting with Guards! Guards!, for the complete history of Vimes, Carrot, Colon and Nobby.
For my money, Interesting Times is the best book in the series, and is best when prefaced by The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic. A friend of mine has tried on more than one occasion to create a D&D iteration of Rincewind that doesn't just suck. [/fanboi]
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A friend of mine has tried on more than one occasion to create a D&D iteration of Rincewind that doesn't just suck. [/fanboi]
But sucking is the whole POINT of Rincewind!
Well, except at running away and the whole not dying thing.
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InnaBinder--I thought Pratchett and Gaiman collaborated on most of it? That's the impression I received from their writings in the book, anyway.
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InnaBinder--I thought Pratchett and Gaiman collaborated on most of it? That's the impression I received from their writings in the book, anyway.
I don't have 1st hand evidence either way, only anecdotal. More anecdotes that I've seen and heard supported the version I put forth; that doesn't mean it's necessarily true, which is why I used "allegedly".
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Omens#Authorship (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Omens#Authorship)
Well, it's a start at least.
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InnaBinder--I thought Pratchett and Gaiman collaborated on most of it? That's the impression I received from their writings in the book, anyway.
Well, it carries the Prachett 'touch' and their styles are fairly evenly distributed in the book as far as I'm aware.
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InnaBinder--I thought Pratchett and Gaiman collaborated on most of it? That's the impression I received from their writings in the book, anyway.
Well, it carries the Prachett 'touch' and their styles are fairly evenly distributed in the book as far as I'm aware.
You can (usually) tell which segments Pratchett wrote and which ones Gaiman wrote. Except towards the end, when things get a little confused. (In one of the afterwords, they mention that there was at least one passage which both of them swear they never wrote.)
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Yep, quite distinctive, really, so I never figured out the whole tinfoil hat thing about the authorship.
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For my money, I'd probably say Thief of Time and Soul Music were the two best Pratchett books for me. It's certain that Death is the best character, though (imo, of course).
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It's certain that Death is the best character, though (imo, of course).
Granny Weatherwax and Vimes are vying for that spot along with Death for me. Vimes rose to his position during the That Is Not My Cow incident.
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Vimes, Rincewind, and Death for me, in no particular order.
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Granny Weatherwax, Vimes, Vetinari, Death, Lu Tze, Nanny Ogg, Carrot...
I'm actually not that fond of Rincewind anymore.
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Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America by Thomas L. Friedman
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For my money, I'd probably say Thief of Time and Soul Music were the two best Pratchett books for me. It's certain that Death is the best character, though (imo, of course).
Agreed on Thief of Time, it's my favorite of the Discworld books. It sucks that Pratchett's got alzheimer's now, probably one of the worst things a writer could end up with.
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Dresden Files: Turn Coat
I'm soooo full of spoilers right now.
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Death From Above: The German FG42 Paratroop Rifle by Thomas B. Dugelby and R. Blake Stevens.
I've wanted this book for years, but the $500+ price tag of the original 1990 printing on the secondary market kept it out of my reach. Fortunately, a few years ago Collector Grade reprinted it with about 50% more content (new research, documentation, photos, etc), and I got it for Christmas a while back.
It's awesome. So much technical, historical, and anecdotal information! It's the most in-depth study of the FG-42 project I've ever seen. Makes me really wish I could afford one of the rifles, but they're about $200,000 these days, so that's out unless I hit the lottery.
If you like historical weapons, this (like all Collector Grade books I've read so far) is a must-have.
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Lavondyss
by Robert Holdstock
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The White Gryphon - Mercedes Lackey
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Just finished Ring
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Sanctuary - Collection of short stories from three collected anthologies.
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Latro in the Mist - Gene Wolfe
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Due to all the media hysteria revolving around H1N1, I've decided that now is the perfect time to re-read Stephen King's The Stand. :p
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Due to all the media hysteria revolving around H1N1, I've decided that now is the perfect time to re-read Stephen King's The Stand. :p
A lot of people said that the original, edited version was a lot better than the later, uncut version. I've only read the latter, and while I found it slow at times, it was supposed to be an epic, so I wasn't all that annoyed.
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A lot of people said that the original, edited version was a lot better than the later, uncut version. I've only read the latter, and while I found it slow at times, it was supposed to be an epic, so I wasn't all that annoyed.
I'm in the same boat, I never read the first released edition, I only bought this behemoth hardcover last year or thereabouts. Probably my favourite part is the second section (the accidental deaths after the outbreak). :p
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Never actually read the book, although I own it. Just seen the movie a few times. Managed to complete the entire Dark Tower series two years ago, though.
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Siddhartha- Herman Hesse.
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Anathem - Neal Stephenson
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Weird Tales. I's a collection of short stories from teh old pulp magazine of the same name.
Didn't Robert E. Howard (of the Conan the Barbarian titles, Solomon Kane, etc)...I was actually reading a great big giant f-off collection of the Conan the Barbarian stuff (I believe it was called The Complete Chronicles of Conan up till just a bit ago.
Right now I'm taking a break from that and am reading The Sunrise Lands by S.M. Stirling. Sort of the fourth in a series, kind of post-apocalyptic stories of survival and rebuilding after The Change, an event which, for unexplained reasons, causes explosives, electricity, steam power, nuclear power, basically any high-energy technology no longer works...It's actually quite interesting, if you're into that. The first book is called Dies the Fire.
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I'm reading the Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures.
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Just started reading the Earthsea cycle by Ursula K. LeGuin.
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Just started reading the Earthsea cycle by Ursula K. LeGuin.
I remember reading those, vaguely. I should look for them again, they were pretty good.
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Earthsea, huh? *heads to Amazon* Hmm...I'll have to add that series to my "to read" list. It will be a while since it's behind re-reading the Hyperion series and the Coldfire trilogy, but it looks good.
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I've heard nothing but good about the Earthsea stuff, so when I found the first four books at my local used bookstore, I had to jump on it. :D
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Re-reading Patriot Games, by Tom Clancy. I had forgotten how good his writing is.
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Geek Love - Katherine Dunn
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the Vampire Encyclopedia
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I'm reading Terry Pratchett's Discworld serie. I just finished Small Gods, and starting
FaustEric.
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Dilbert: The Joy of Work by Scott Adams
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The Mind of God by Paul Davies
The Character of Physical Law by Richard Feynman (kinda)
- It's actually a pretty good book, despite the title. Although, it's obviously heavily based in physics.
What If? by Peg Tittle
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Death in the Long Grass by Peter Capstick. There is no better hunting author than Capstick, who will readily explain that the most important skill of a dangerous game hunter is the ability to climb trees REALLY FAST.
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Currently reading Tome of Magic, off and on.
...
What?
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Currently reading Tome of Magic, off and on.
...
What?
Good book, shame about the misprint that meant it only had one chapter.
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Good book, shame about the misprint that meant it only had one chapter.
I rather enjoyed reading the background for the "Shadow Magic" in the appendix, though. Gave me some good ideas for how never to design a magic system. Truenaming doesn't even appear in the copy I purchased. At least they got something right at the publishers...
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Best Served Cold, by Joe Abercrombie. Awesome !
(I recommend starting with his previous trilogy. Book 1 is The Blade Itself.)
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"The Long Dark Tea Time of The Soul" for me, by Douglas Addams. Just read "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" so I thought I'd read the sequel.
I've also got bookmark in both "The Compelte Chronicles of Conan", and "Lankhmar", a collection of Fitz Leiber short stories.
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The sofa is definitely stuck.
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God bless time machines eh?
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if any book series could come close to hitchhikers... dirk does it.
the rain god ftw.
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Reading Hen's Teeth and Horse's Toes by Stephen Jay Gould. It's a collection of his essays on evolutionary theory and natural history. An excellent read, Gould makes even the most difficult concepts accessible and entertaining...I'd already torn through two previous collections of his essays, The Panda's Thumb and Ever Since Darwin
Finished reading the first five Earthsea books and got into a car accident on my way to buy the sixth, so I'll be holding off on that one for a little bit. :mad
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Reading wikipedia's entries on Hindu Mythology...
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The Dune Series.
Finished Dune about a week and half ago, now I'm in the middle of Dune Messiah.
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Empowered volume 5.
Damn I luv this comic. I know in the beginning it seems all fan-serviey but the ongoing storylines suckered me in.
Can't wait for the inevitable showdown with Willy Pete
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Weird War II: Blood on the Rhine
It's d20 + WWII + Wehrwolves (yes, I spelled that correctly for the game :) ). What's not to like?
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Weird War II: Blood on the Rhine
It's d20 + WWII + Wehrwolves (yes, I spelled that correctly for the game :) ). What's not to like?
Sounds interesting!
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Weird War II: Blood on the Rhine
It's d20 + WWII + Wehrwolves (yes, I spelled that correctly for the game :) ). What's not to like?
Sounds interesting!
Unfortunately, it's a few years out of print, and the later sourcebooks are horribly error-riddled. But the core book and the first few supplements (Afrika Korpse, Hell Freezes Over, Hell in the Hedgerows) are excellent. I'm prepping a one-off game for my secondary gaming group using some house-rules I developed and have been wanting to try for some time.
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I was finally able to re-start and then finish my Terry Pratchet book: Reaper Man. I read it in like, the span of 3 days. God, I love vacations. Anyway, the book was hilarious. Things happened at such a fast pace that my brain felt like it was on crack. But I was giggling every other page. And the ending...[spoiler]WAS SO CUUUUUUUUUUUUTE!!!!!!!![/spoiler]
I'm halfway through a book that my sister gave me: The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley. According to the Washington Post, this book, "Confirms McKinley as an important writer of modern heroic fantasy, a genre whose giants include C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Lloyd Alexander."
I say the Washington Post is full of crap. I've read the first two authors, and their works were amazing. This book? Not so much. But that's just my opinion. Perhaps it's just the writing style. I feel like the author has dumbed down the text so that a 6 year old could read the story. And the story isn't all that captivating, IMO. Things just happen too easily. There's hardly any planning involved, and then BAM! Mission accomplished. Who knows, maybe I'll like the ending.
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I was finally able to re-start and then finish my Terry Pratchet book: Reaper Man. I read it in like, the span of 3 days. God, I love vacations. Anyway, the book was hilarious. Things happened at such a fast pace that my brain felt like it was on crack. But I was giggling every other page. And the ending...[spoiler]WAS SO CUUUUUUUUUUUUTE!!!!!!!![/spoiler]
I love Discworld...Well, pretty much anything by Terry Pratchett, really.
On topic: I just finished Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five and Cat's Cradle, so now I'm going to move on to...well, I don't know. Bookstore trip? I think so!
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Just finished up the mistborn trilogy this week, I do have a question though, does it still count as unplugged snobbery if I read it on a kindle?(that is also probably the reason I finished the trilogy in a week...new tech can do some weird things to a man/boy whatever I'm considered)
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On topic: I just finished Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five and Cat's Cradle, so now I'm going to move on to...well, I don't know. Bookstore trip? I think so!
Absolutely loved Slaughterhouse Five.
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Children of Dune.
This story keeps getting more and more convulted and twisted. Feints within feints within feints.
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Finished reading Clan of the Cave Bear a little while ago, now I'm reading The Valley of Horses. I like it so far, but that might just be because I've got this weird thing for the ice age.
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Orson Scott Card, Maps in the Mirrors.
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Finished reading Clan of the Cave Bear a little while ago, now I'm reading The Valley of Horses. I like it so far, but that might just be because I've got this weird thing for the ice age.
I liked those books as a teenage, then re-read them and discovered that they're full of sex and the main character comes up with every significant technological advancement of early man.
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Finished reading Clan of the Cave Bear a little while ago, now I'm reading The Valley of Horses. I like it so far, but that might just be because I've got this weird thing for the ice age.
I liked those books as a teenage, then re-read them and discovered that they're full of sex and the main character comes up with every significant technological advancement of early man.
What kind of teenager could miss this... were you reading them in a closet?
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I wasn't a sex crazed teenager, sue me.
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Finished reading Clan of the Cave Bear a little while ago, now I'm reading The Valley of Horses. I like it so far, but that might just be because I've got this weird thing for the ice age.
I liked those books as a teenage, then re-read them and discovered that they're full of sex and the main character comes up with every significant technological advancement of early man.
Yeah, I remember my mom had those books, and I asked if I could read them and she flat-out told me no. To be fair, I must've been like...11-12 (I read a lot of books).
And it does irritate me that she seems to come up with everything.
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Finished reading Clan of the Cave Bear a little while ago, now I'm reading The Valley of Horses. I like it so far, but that might just be because I've got this weird thing for the ice age.
I liked those books as a teenage, then re-read them and discovered that they're full of sex and the main character comes up with every significant technological advancement of early man.
Yeah, I remember my mom had those books, and I asked if I could read them and she flat-out told me no. To be fair, I must've been like...11-12 (I read a lot of books).
And it does irritate me that she seems to come up with everything.
:lmao :lmao :lmao
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Finished reading Clan of the Cave Bear a little while ago, now I'm reading The Valley of Horses. I like it so far, but that might just be because I've got this weird thing for the ice age.
I liked those books as a teenage, then re-read them and discovered that they're full of sex and the main character comes up with every significant technological advancement of early man.
Yeah, I remember my mom had those books, and I asked if I could read them and she flat-out told me no. To be fair, I must've been like...11-12 (I read a lot of books).
And it does irritate me that she seems to come up with everything.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who was irritated, though I got irritated enough that I ended up giving mine away because I couldn't finish the third book.
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I'll likely stick with it, though who knows, I'm only halfway through the second book. "I've invented horseback riding!"
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I'll likely stick with it, though who knows, I'm only halfway through the second book. "I've invented horseback riding!"
Just wait until she invents the atlatl!
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I'll likely stick with it, though who knows, I'm only halfway through the second book. "I've invented horseback riding!"
Just wait until she invents the atlatl!
Or the abucus...
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Currently, 'The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle' by Haruki Murakami, for the third time.
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The Genesis Secret.
Yet another DaVinci Code ripoff, set mostly in the Middle East. Bought it to read on the airplane.
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I'm reading an old narrative Gylfaginning by Snorri Sturluson. It is quite a good read.
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The Name of the Wind.
I'm taking a break from the Dune series. I got halfway through God Emperor and my mind was worn out. Plus, The Wise Man's Fear is coming out sometime next month. I think. Unless Rothfuss is still writing it.
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Got started with Knights of the Old Republic comics. It's so stupendously awesome I am slapping myself to stay awake so I can read more.
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I've picked up the Solomon Kane Dark Horse comics. It is great to have a hero I grew up with be recreated. He is still as I remember him though: Bad ass and puritan.
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You might wish to look for this when it comes out in November
http://www.amazon.com/Conans-Brethren-Collection-Robert-Howard/dp/0575089873/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249787752&sr=1-14
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I just finished Weber's "By Heresies Distressed", the third book in the Safehold series. Quite good, as is most of Weber's stuff.
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I'm on book 3 (Circus of the Damned) of Laurel K Hamilton's Anita Blake series.
The chick can write. The chick can write damn seductively too.
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I'm on book 3 (Circus of the Damned) of Laurel K Hamilton's Anita Blake series.
The chick can write. The chick can write damn seductively too.
Yeah, she's pretty much the literary equivalent of the old Shannon Tweed movies.
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doh!
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You might wish to look for this when it comes out in November
http://www.amazon.com/Conans-Brethren-Collection-Robert-Howard/dp/0575089873/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249787752&sr=1-14
Thanks, it is definitely arousing my interest. I was never as large a fan of Conan as I am of Solomon, but I have read some of his tales.
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I have been reading through Red Mars (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_trilogy), its one of my favorite hard scifi series in a while. The technology isn't too far out and it still has that feeling of discovery.
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Just finished reading the Konrad Saga by David Ferring. Has anyone else read it? I've gotta say i was really disappointed by the ending, just wanted to hear any others thoughts on it.
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The Klarkash-Ton Cycle
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You might wish to look for this when it comes out in November
http://www.amazon.com/Conans-Brethren-Collection-Robert-Howard/dp/0575089873/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249787752&sr=1-14
Thanks, it is definitely arousing my interest. I was never as large a fan of Conan as I am of Solomon, but I have read some of his tales.
I grew up reading the Ace paperbacks that I snatched from my dad's bookshelf, and while I loved them dearly, I like the pure, un-deCamped Howard better.
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I'm currently stalled on "A Cook's Tour" by Anthony Bourdain, which he wrote while filming No Reservations, it's kind of a literary behind the scenes of that show.
I'm also currently reading the Harry Potter books, I'd previously only read Goblet of Fire and Philosopher's Stone (in that order, sadly), so now I'm going through and reading the whole series in order.
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"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" by Jane Austin and Seth Grahame-Smith.
If only I could have read this version in high school instead.
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"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" by Jane Austin and Seth Grahame-Smith.
I've been recommended this book by so many different sources that I have to add it to my list of things to read.
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"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" by Jane Austin and Seth Grahame-Smith.
I've been recommended this book by so many different sources that I have to add it to my list of things to read.
Same here; at first, i thought it was a fast-spreading joke or something...
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Theyre doing a sequel: Sense & Sensibility and Sea monsters...
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Currently reading: Things We Think About Games.
It's really good. Especially the later thoughts.
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Finished Nineteen Eighty-Four a few days ago. Hadn't read it in English yet. Currently reading Kafka's Der Prozess and Achebe's Things fall apart.
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Finished Nineteen Eighty-Four a few days ago. Hadn't read it in English yet. Currently reading Kafka's Der Prozess and Achebe's Things fall apart.
I didn't care for 1984. The message was excellent, but the delivery was underwhelming. How's "Things Fall Apart"? I've seen it on shelves but never read it.
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The Paradise War by Stephen Lawhead. It's a bit slow to go anywhere so far I'm half way through, but we'll see I suppose
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The Paradise War by Stephen Lawhead. It's a bit slow to go anywhere so far any I'm about a quarter of the way through, but we'll see I suppose
I read his Dragon King trilogy, it was pretty good.
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How do I delete this post?
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I read his Dragon King trilogy, it was pretty good.
I haven't read those ones, but I tried to read the Pendragon Cycle and couldn't get into it, I might try again at some point.
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It's been a while since I posted I think... I've read:
- the Mistborn trilogy by Sanderson. The first book is fantastic, but unfortunately it's downhill from there.
- Dead Beat by Jim Butcher (a Harry Dresden book). Very nice - much better than Storm Front, the only other HD book I've read.
- Blood of Elves by Sapkowski. There was a positive buzz about it and it won an award so I wanted to see what it was all about. It's pretty good but the end leaves a taste of unfinished business... I'm guessing it's to get people to buy the sequel(s). :-/
- Jhegaala by Steven Brust. Pretty nice.
I'm reading the Black Company by Glen Cook.
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- Dead Beat by Jim Butcher (a Harry Dresden book). Very nice - much better than Storm Front, the only other HD book I've read.
[spoiler]
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/edge-of-infinity/1248964599329.jpg)
[/spoiler]
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- Dead Beat by Jim Butcher (a Harry Dresden book). Very nice - much better than Storm Front, the only other HD book I've read.
[spoiler]
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/edge-of-infinity/1248964599329.jpg)
[/spoiler]
That is a zombie T-rex, sir. Bad-ass.
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Finished Nineteen Eighty-Four a few days ago. Hadn't read it in English yet. Currently reading Kafka's Der Prozess and Achebe's Things fall apart.
I didn't care for 1984. The message was excellent, but the delivery was underwhelming. How's "Things Fall Apart"? I've seen it on shelves but never read it.
Finished Things fall apart today. It was very good, I enjoyed it. The language is quite simple, but colourful, suits the characters very well and the message is carried out decently. A lovely book to read when you can't concentrate exclusively on reading for hours. I actually read it at work during my two eight hour shifts...
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Just finished rereading Ender's Game for a summer assignment, and have started Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.
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I'm reading Stephen King's On Writing for a class and the Planar Chaos MtG novel cuz it came in my fatpack...
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I'm reading Stephen King's On Writing for a class and the Planar Chaos MtG novel cuz it came in my fatpack...
I remember that! You bought it, opened it, and said, wow, theres a whole book in here. I laughed at you/
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I'm reading Stephen King's On Writing for a class and the Planar Chaos MtG novel cuz it came in my fatpack...
I remember that! You bought it, opened it, and said, wow, theres a whole book in here. I laughed at you/
Yeah, it's cool. All these names I recognize, and quite a few I don't...
I met Karn!
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Finished Nineteen Eighty-Four a few days ago. Hadn't read it in English yet. Currently reading Kafka's Der Prozess and Achebe's Things fall apart.
I couldn't make it past the part where they stick the sack of rats on his head. I was really freakin' disturbed, and the book was so depressing I just couldn't make myself continue reading it after that. I guess I'm weak. :(
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Finished Nineteen Eighty-Four a few days ago. Hadn't read it in English yet. Currently reading Kafka's Der Prozess and Achebe's Things fall apart.
I couldn't make it past the part where they stick the sack of rats on his head. I was really freakin' disturbed, and the book was so depressing I just couldn't make myself continue reading it after that. I guess I'm weak. :(
the thing on his head was infinitely creepier than a sack of rats...
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the thing on his head was infinitely creepier than a sack of rats...
A cage of hungry rats, then? It's been a while...
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I may be desensitized, as I don't actually remember the rats.
Reading the first Anita Blake novel, on the recommendation of one of our own BG moderators, he shall remain anonymous unless I start to dislike the book or my character in his game dies, hehe. :p
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the thing on his head was infinitely creepier than a sack of rats...
A cage of hungry rats, then? It's been a while...
A cage-ish mask. So technically your second guess was very much right. But the book has a really positive ending.
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the thing on his head was infinitely creepier than a sack of rats...
A cage of hungry rats, then? It's been a while...
A cage-ish mask. So technically your second guess was very much right. But the book has a really positive ending.
I don't know if I'd call it a positive ending. They finally broke Winston.
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I'm currently reading the Blackest Night series from DC, too. It's one of those "buy comics across five different series and a couple we're making just for this!" things, so it's interesting. I missed out on the first couple Green Lantern issues, so I'm hesitant to get the ones for August, but I think I will if I can, and I need to find the Green Lantern Corps ones too. So far Blackest Night, Blackest Night: Titans, Blackest Night: Batman and Tales of the Corps have all been pretty awesome. Blackest Night: Superman was... kinda shitty... to be honest, but then, I'm not much of a Supes fan...
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The Weasel patrol
http://aboutinfinity.com/weaselpatrol.html
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Reading the first Anita Blake novel, on the recommendation of one of our own BG moderators, he shall remain anonymous unless I start to dislike the book or my character in his game dies, hehe. :p
AC recommended it. :P
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Reading Master and Margarita (Saatana saapuu Moskovaan in Finnish, it means Devil arrives to Moscow) again. It is just that darn good.
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Starship Troopers
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I just finished reading Dan Simmons' The Terror. I'm probably going to go back to reading either House of Leaves or more Lovecraft stories.
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Starship Troopers
Excellent book, so much better than the movie. One of these days I'm going to have to pick up more Heinlein.
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The Odyssey, the Fitzgerald translation for the 5th time, for class.
Background information on the Wizardwar - not WW2, though it comes up as a match at Google.
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I think I was there when you read it for the third or fourth time.
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I think I was there when you read it for the third or fourth time.
Yep, you were. In a very fetching skirt, if I recall. ;)
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I think I was there when you read it for the third or fourth time.
Yep, you were. In a very fetching skirt, if I recall. ;)
...Which one of you? ???
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I think I was there when you read it for the third or fourth time.
Yep, you were. In a very fetching skirt, if I recall. ;)
...Which one of you? ???
Zeke, naturally. I simply do NOT have any shoes that would allow me to look good in a skirt.
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Starship Troopers
Excellent book, so much better than the movie. One of these days I'm going to have to pick up more Heinlein.
I didn't like it. I finished it and read all the way through, damnit, but I didn't like it. That's probably because I went into it expecting a lot more action and fighting -- more along the lines of the movie but without the suck -- and not political theory. Though, if I read it now I'd probably enjoy it. I had the same problem with 1984 -- except I hated that book so much I actually paid someone to borrow it and never bring it back. But at least I finished that one too.
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Starship Troopers
Excellent book, so much better than the movie. One of these days I'm going to have to pick up more Heinlein.
I didn't like it. I finished it and read all the way through, damnit, but I didn't like it. That's probably because I went into it expecting a lot more action and fighting -- more along the lines of the movie but without the suck -- and not political theory. Though, if I read it now I'd probably enjoy it. I had the same problem with 1984 -- except I hated that book so much I actually paid someone to borrow it and never bring it back. But at least I finished that one too.
Yeah, the book is a good book but it is NOTHING like the movie, heh.
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Starship Troopers
Excellent book, so much better than the movie. One of these days I'm going to have to pick up more Heinlein.
I didn't like it. I finished it and read all the way through, damnit, but I didn't like it. That's probably because I went into it expecting a lot more action and fighting -- more along the lines of the movie but without the suck -- and not political theory. Though, if I read it now I'd probably enjoy it. I had the same problem with 1984 -- except I hated that book so much I actually paid someone to borrow it and never bring it back. But at least I finished that one too.
What was wrong with Nineteen Eighty-Four?
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Starship Troopers
Excellent book, so much better than the movie. One of these days I'm going to have to pick up more Heinlein.
I didn't like it. I finished it and read all the way through, damnit, but I didn't like it. That's probably because I went into it expecting a lot more action and fighting -- more along the lines of the movie but without the suck -- and not political theory. Though, if I read it now I'd probably enjoy it. I had the same problem with 1984 -- except I hated that book so much I actually paid someone to borrow it and never bring it back. But at least I finished that one too.
What was wrong with Nineteen Eighty-Four?
Maybe it was the fact that I was in grammar school when I read it, but I didn't find it very enthralling. It just didn't 'grab' me, so to speak. I can appreciate the historical significance of the book, and the effect it had on popular culture, but I didn't find it to be a very satisfying read.
That said, I just finished the "Nightmares and Dreamscapes" short story collection by Stephen King. I never thought I'd ever see a Sherlock Holmes story done by King, but it was quite good, as were most of the others. Apparently they're making "Dolan's Cadillac" into a movie, hence the new edition of the collection.
I've found some King novels that I felt were fairly lame ("Cell" is at the top of that particular list, next to "From a Buick 8" and "Dreamcatcher"), but most are quite good, and some are truly epic ("It", "Pet Sematary", "Needful Things", "Misery" and "The Stand" come to mind.)
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Starship Troopers
Excellent book, so much better than the movie. One of these days I'm going to have to pick up more Heinlein.
I didn't like it. I finished it and read all the way through, damnit, but I didn't like it. That's probably because I went into it expecting a lot more action and fighting -- more along the lines of the movie but without the suck -- and not political theory. Though, if I read it now I'd probably enjoy it. I had the same problem with 1984 -- except I hated that book so much I actually paid someone to borrow it and never bring it back. But at least I finished that one too.
What was wrong with Nineteen Eighty-Four?
Maybe it was the fact that I was in grammar school when I read it, but I didn't find it very enthralling. It just didn't 'grab' me, so to speak. I can appreciate the historical significance of the book, and the effect it had on popular culture, but I didn't find it to be a very satisfying read.
That said, I just finished the "Nightmares and Dreamscapes" short story collection by Stephen King. I never thought I'd ever see a Sherlock Holmes story done by King, but it was quite good, as were most of the others. Apparently they're making "Dolan's Cadillac" into a movie, hence the new edition of the collection.
I've found some King novels that I felt were fairly lame ("Cell" is at the top of that particular list, next to "From a Buick 8" and "Dreamcatcher"), but most are quite good, and some are truly epic ("It", "Pet Sematary", "Needful Things", "Misery" and "The Stand" come to mind.)
According to my Stephen King Literature and Films professor (and yes, this is a class I'm taking) they've been working on that movie for ages. I am reading Cell for that class currently and while I'll admit it's a pale imitation of The Stand in some ways, it's also a great take on the zombie novel. Also reading Misery on the side for fun and listening to The Dark Tower (series) on Audio book.
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Apparently they're making "Dolan's Cadillac" into a movie, hence the new edition of the collection.
It has been made and has been available for a few months in other countries. It comes out in the US in December I believe. It's an alright film, one of his better adaptations.
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I thought "Cell" had excellent potential, but the ending just fell apart.
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Do you guys have any suggestions for Science Fiction books? Trying to compile a reading list for a class.
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Do you guys have any suggestions for Science Fiction books? Trying to compile a reading list for a class.
Robert Heinlein - Starship Troopers
David Weber & John Ringo - March Upcountry (and the sequels, March to the Sea, March to the Stars and We Few)
David Weber - Off Armageddon Reef (and the sequels, "By Schism Rent Asunder" and "By Heresies Distressed")
Douglas Adams - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Eric Flint & David Drake - The Belisarius Saga (First book is "An Oblique Approach")
John Ringo - The Last Centurion
Michael Z. Williamson - Better to Beg Forgiveness
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Anyone read the Lensmen series before here?
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Do you guys have any suggestions for Science Fiction books? Trying to compile a reading list for a class.
Frank Herbert's Dune.
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Dostoyevsky season for me.
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I'm now reading the third and last book in the Song of Albion trilogy by Stephen Lawhead, The Endless Knot. I'd recommend reading them if you like Celtic fantasy, they really are very good. After this I think I'm going to check out his Celtic Crusades trilogy. Should keep me busy for a little while at least.
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Do you guys have any suggestions for Science Fiction books? Trying to compile a reading list for a class.
Asimov's (no idea on spelling) Foundation and Robot series are good, and his short stories are nice too.
Stephen King's Dark Tower series is a nice example of straddling the Fantasy/SciFi fence.
I'll further Johannixx's suggestion about Douglas Adams and advocate for the rest of the series as well.
I'll think of more later, do you just want lasers and spaceships SciFi?
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Do you guys have any suggestions for Science Fiction books? Trying to compile a reading list for a class.
William Gibson (the originator of the whole Cyberpunk subgenre). Particularly: Neuromancer (and the rest of the Sprawl Series), and Burning Chrome (collection of short stories).
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Anyone read the Lensmen series before here?
I read the first book. Interesting, but just anachronistic enough in its language to break me out of my suspension of disbelief.
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Anyone read the Lensmen series before here?
I read the first book. Interesting, but just anachronistic enough in its language to break me out of my suspension of disbelief.
Well, the later books are pretty insanely epic. Trope namer for the Lensman Arms Race (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LensmanArmsRace)
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I'm looking for a copy of Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid.
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Just got Folke Myrvang's MG34-MG42 German Universal Machineguns for my birthday, along with Lt. Col. John George's Shots Fired in Anger. Both are proving to be interesting reads. Myrvang's book has some really interesting historical tidbits about inter-war German machinegun development, much of which was being done in secret by shell corporations in Austria and Switzerland due to the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles.
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Just finished Ender's Game, and truth be told, was bored with the whole thing until Mazer Rackham and Ender start talking about the buggers.
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Started re-reading The Lord of The Rings, thought I'd see what i missed the first time i read it due to my young age.
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A local place does a huge discount book sale a couple times a year and I picked up a few books for cheap. I currently am reading Needful Things, The Lucifer Effect, the Poetic Eddas, the Kalevala, and picked up a travel guide to hostels in Europe.
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Started re-reading The Lord of The Rings, thought I'd see what i missed the first time i read it due to my young age.
I find that one gets better every time I read it. It never gets old.
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I have no translation for the name of the book, but it is a short one written by Ivan Turgenev. It might translate as 'The Diary of a Useless Man.' Anyway, I have a season for Russian writers at the moment. Pasternak, Bulgakov, Dostoyevsky, Turgenev, Gogol...
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Ilium and then Olympos again. We watched Troy recently and I needed to be reminded of good stuff based on the Iliad -- which is something I need to read as well.
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Started reading the "Gotrek and Felix Omnibus" the other day, will probably keep a slow pace until the 2nd of November (when I have an exam). After that I will probably re-read "The Hitchikers guide to the Galaxy".
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Reading Ivan Turgenev, but no idea what the book is called in English. 'Diary of a useless man' would be the direct translation from Finnish. On top of that, Samuel P. Huntington's Clash of civilizations is a book I carry with me now.
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I finally finished "Shots Fired in Anger". Very interesting in that you can really see the differences 33 years can make. The first part of the book, dealing with the author's time on Guadalcanal, was written in 1946-47 and reflects his youthful enthusiasm for war. He almost treats it as a lark, a romantic adventure, as he marches through the tangled underbrush and snipes some shellshocked Japanese after a US mortar barrage. By the end of the story, he starts to shift from enthusiastic adventurer to, well, lazy. He doesn't want to go gallivanting around the jungle on silly missions when organized Japanese resistance has finally been broken just to mop up some starving holdouts, and he is often lackadaisical in his attitudes towards orders. The luster is gone, but he's still cocky.
The second part, detailing his time with Merrill's Marauders in Burma, was written in 1980. In this part of the memoir, he is very cognizant of the potential to get killed, and though he still performs some youthful feats of braggadocio, he's well aware of the stupidity of the actions and chalks it up to youth. By the end of the story, it's clear he just wants to fight the war and go home, rather than win some kind of ephemeral glory. The Japanese have apparently taught him to appreciate tactics and the unique advantages of the US soldiers' equipment. The Japanese loved frontal assaults with bayonets, which worked fine against poorly armed and trained Chinese militiamen, but failed miserably against veteran US troops armed with semi-automatic and automatic rifles and plentifully supplied with ammunition. Still, throughout the book, George praises the steadfast determination of the Japanese troops, and the hardships they're willing to endure to win. Several times he mentions that, had they been intelligently trained and led, they may well have won several of the battles. He also vastly prefers most of their ancillary equipment, such as mess kits, backpacks, shovels and tarps, though he feels the US boots and uniforms are marginally better. Both tended to rot away, but at least the US stuff was green to match the jungle instead of light khaki (though this made an excellent backdrop for his front sight).
All in all, a good read from the frontline infantryman's perspective, and has some interesting insights into guerrilla warfare as practiced by the US Army in WWII.
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Just finished "Backbone of the Wehrmacht: The German K98k Rifle, 1939-1945" and "Backbone of the Wehrmacht II: Sniper Variations of the German K98k Rifle". Interesting reads, full of technical minutiae, such as full floorplans of the Mauser plant at Oberndorf, and a TON of photographs of various Karabiner 98 kurtz rifles. I was somewhat disappointed that it didn't branch out into other 98-pattern rifles, except those directly in line with the Kar98k. For example, there were examples of the Mauser Standard Modell (which was the immediate forerunner of the Kar98k), various Gewehr 98 and Karabiner 98b reworks, and the later Kriegsmodell (a stripped down Kar98k made in the last months of the war in a futile effort to boost production), but nothing was said of the G-33/40 manufactured at Waffenfabrik Brunn and issued to Gebirgsjager mountain troops.
So, in essence, the book was extremely narrow, but also extremely deep.
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Gathering storm, book 12 of the wheel of time. might be top 3 in the series. definitely top 6.
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I really have to finish the wheel of time ... at book 7 now...
Readint 20 ans plus tard, in original french, by dumas, it's the sequel to the three musketeers.
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Gathering storm, book 12 of the wheel of time. might be top 3 in the series. definitely top 6.
Yeah, it's got that 'zing' back.
Egwene's a total badass.
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[spoiler] indeed she is. i was almost expecting her to fly... or hover out in the court yard..
12 books later.. i would have like to have seen more of Tam..
[/spoiler]
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Gathering storm, book 12 of the wheel of time. might be top 3 in the series. definitely top 6.
I told myself I wouldn't start up those books again until Jordan finished them. Now he's dead. Yeah, I know they got a new guy to finish the series, but still...
Eye of the World was a good book. But three books' worth of dick-dancing around in the Aiel Waste bored the hell out of me.
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Currently reading a good bunch of books, most of them for school. Just finished reading Professor Unrat by Heinrich Mann for German class, have to read Monsieur Ibrahim et les Fleurs du Coran by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt for French class, and for English class I just finished Man in the Dark by Paul Auster and am currently reading a compilation of short stories by H.P. Lovecraft (gonna write an essay on him as preparation for my graduation exam). After that, I'll need to read four more books for German class by the end of the year. I already know I'll do The Threepenny Opera/Die Dreigroschenoper by Bert Brecht, and probably some stuff by Kafka. Maybe some Nietzsche, too (though I don't know of any real 'fiction' books by him - not sure if Thus Spoke Zarathustra counts). Any other suggestions on German authors?
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Currently reading a good bunch of books, most of them for school. Just finished reading Professor Unrat by Heinrich Mann for German class, have to read Monsieur Ibrahim et les Fleurs du Coran by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt for French class, and for English class I just finished Man in the Dark by Paul Auster and am currently reading a compilation of short stories by H.P. Lovecraft (gonna write an essay on him as preparation for my graduation exam). After that, I'll need to read four more books for German class by the end of the year. I already know I'll do The Threepenny Opera/Die Dreigroschenoper by Bert Brecht, and probably some stuff by Kafka. Maybe some Nietzsche, too (though I don't know of any real 'fiction' books by him - not sure if Thus Spoke Zarathustra counts). Any other suggestions on German authors?
"Sturmgewehr! From Firepower to Striking Power" by Hans-Dieter Handrich was an excellent read. And it's already translated into English for your convenience :)
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Currently reading a good bunch of books, most of them for school. Just finished reading Professor Unrat by Heinrich Mann for German class, have to read Monsieur Ibrahim et les Fleurs du Coran by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt for French class, and for English class I just finished Man in the Dark by Paul Auster and am currently reading a compilation of short stories by H.P. Lovecraft (gonna write an essay on him as preparation for my graduation exam). After that, I'll need to read four more books for German class by the end of the year. I already know I'll do The Threepenny Opera/Die Dreigroschenoper by Bert Brecht, and probably some stuff by Kafka. Maybe some Nietzsche, too (though I don't know of any real 'fiction' books by him - not sure if Thus Spoke Zarathustra counts). Any other suggestions on German authors?
"Sturmgewehr! From Firepower to Striking Power" by Hans-Dieter Handrich was an excellent read. And it's already translated into English for your convenience :)
Actually, I don't need it in English, seeing as I'm Austrian. But thanks for the tip anyway.
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Currently I'm reading Jim Butcher's Small Favor novel ten in the Dresden Files and the complete collection of The Dying Earth by Jack Vance. Yes I'm reading stories written by the man who invented the Vancian casting system. Think of it as a combination of sci-fi and fantasy in which magic is derived from science. The dialogue is very dry but the setting, distant future Earth with science based magic and rediscovered technological wonders (like elevators and cars :D), is amazing. Vance does get much better at writing dialogue in his later works though. Much better. As for Small Favor, what other author would write a story involving satanic sorcerers, trolls and the Billy Goats Gruff. The heroes include an overworked, unappreciated wizard PI (Harry Dresden), honest cops who battle the supernatural, mobsters, a magically overpowered 12 year old girl, two modern day holy warriors (one of whom is agnostic) and valkyire security guards.
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You forgot the bit about Sanya becoming a holy warrior because hes a commie. :D
And the fallen angels.
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3 pages into proust, this could take awhile
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You forgot the bit about Sanya becoming a holy warrior because hes a commie. :D
Correction, he's a Trotskite.
And the fallen angels.
Sorry, I just forgot to mention that. For some strange reason I'm rather keen on the idea of a multimagic system campaign. It would include divine magic, Dresdenverse style magic, Vancian magic and perhaps some sort alternative for Final Fantasy fans. As for Vancian magic think less slot per day and more slots at a time. Place a spell in your head and hold it until cast. Unfortuantely you can have at most seven such slots with out feats or class features like loremaster secrets. That said you can memorize a new spell to replace any spell you cast with out needing rest, just your spellbook. Of course most of Vance's wizards didn't have the presence of mind to bring their spell books with them on long journeys.
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Currently alternating between Lovecraft and Jack Vance.
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Vancian version of Hastur Hastur Hastu, that'd be funny.
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Anita Blake Series: Cerulean Butterfly.
Yes, I am hooked on this series. :D
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Tess of the d'Urbervilles. In all honesty, I think Tess is a silly git and I don't feel sorry for her. Although I find the book more fascinating in a sense of trying to divine what Hardy believes than the actual story at hand. I just don't like the main character, fucking mary sue.
EDIT: Got to the end.
[spoiler]She never became an hero. I am disappointed. Her death only added to the "Oh, I'm so pretty and everyone is so mean to me blah blah blah. If you weren't such a dumbass, Tess, your life would suck significantly less.[/spoiler]
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hardy is one of my top 5 fav authors,
have not read tess, but jude is a+++
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Currently reading the Discworld books. Just finished Men at Arms today, started Mort, and can't wait till I have money again so I can track down more City Watch books.
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Currently reading the Discworld books. Just finished Men at Arms today, started Mort, and can't wait till I have money again so I can track down more City Watch books.
I recommend Night Watch.
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But...Thud!
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That too.
[spoiler]Where's my cow?[/spoiler]
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THIS IS NOT MY COW!
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Is that my cow? It goes "buggrit, millennium hand and shrimp!". It is Foul ol' Ron. That is not my cow.
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Currently reading the Discworld books. Just finished Men at Arms today, started Mort, and can't wait till I have money again so I can track down more City Watch books.
I recommend Night Watch.
I second that. Plus, Going Postal is a good read.
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Just finished "Term Limits", by Vince Flynn. Wow. I finally found a book too right-wing even for me. This is like a Glenn Beck wet dream. I may despise the current crop of politicians and their bullshit, but even I don't think whacking four of them to be the way to fix it.
I also picked up "War Baby! The US Caliber .30 Carbine" by Larry Ruth, and "Desperate Measures - Last-Ditch Weapons of the Nazi Volkssturm" by W. Darrin Weaver. Both are interesting looks into interesting weapons made in interesting times.
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I'm about halfway through The Eye of the World; first book in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series.
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The Hound of the Baskervilles!
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Got "The Sten Machine Carbine" by Peter Laidler. Very interesting stuff, especially about the lesser-known experimental and resistance-made STENs.
Also reading "Under the Dome" by Stephen King. Refreshing, it's like King finally got his head out of his ass after Cell and the last Dark Tower book, and started writing like Stephen Fucking King again. A must-read for fans so far.
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Also reading "Under the Dome" by Stephen King. Refreshing, it's like King finally got his head out of his ass after Cell and the last Dark Tower book, and started writing like Stephen Fucking King again. A must-read for fans so far.
I heard exactly the opposite actually.
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Also reading "Under the Dome" by Stephen King. Refreshing, it's like King finally got his head out of his ass after Cell and the last Dark Tower book, and started writing like Stephen Fucking King again. A must-read for fans so far.
I heard exactly the opposite actually.
It lacks a lot of the supernatural element, at least at first, but it more than makes up for that with plain old human evil. Having read pretty much every King novel and short story ever published, I'd put this one in the upper half at least. It's no IT, but it's a far cry from From A Buick 8.
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I heard it from my mother, who has also read pretty much every King novel and short story ever published. :P She said that it was worth reading once because it was King, but not worth buying or owning at all.
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Got "The Sten Machine Carbine" by Peter Laidler. Very interesting stuff, especially about the lesser-known experimental and resistance-made STENs.
Also reading "Under the Dome" by Stephen King. Refreshing, it's like King finally got his head out of his ass after Cell and the last Dark Tower book, and started writing like Stephen Fucking King again. A must-read for fans so far.
I loved The Dark Tower (Book 7 and the series), but I really couldn't stand Cell. I haven't read everything he's written, but since I started reading him two years ago his work has comprised a good 75% of the material I do read.
As for the other 25%, I'm almost finished with The Gathering Storm.
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I finished Under the Dome. Very interesting. I wasn't completely satisfied with the ending, but King often intentionally leaves endings unsatisfying, and I can live with it.
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Just finished the Twilight series, they were actually pretty good.
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Neal Stephenson's Anathem.
It's really dry in the beginning but it gets much better once you get about a 1/3 into it.
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Just finished "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" by John Ringo. It's the fourth book in his "Council War" series. Like most of Ringo's stuff, it's very interesting and well paced, but the guy just has real issues with sexual aggression. Yes, in a total collapse of society and civilization, people will get raped. Doesn't mean I want to read multiple pages of graphic detail, and then multiple books wherein the hero has to cope with his own suppressed desire to join in. But that's Ringo for you.
That said, it's a pretty interesting take on the collapse of an advanced technological society in a very short time. The good guys are generally all good, and the bad guys are either VERY bad or subject to redemption by the good guys. There's some humor (including an AI built into a mini-lop rabbit named Bun-Bun...), some interesting tactical situations, and all in all it's a decent story, but it's got an edge to it that I didn't care for. It's certainly better than the sadomasochistic Ghost/Kildar saga, of which I read half of the first book and then ran screaming, but it's not as good as his collaborative works like the "March Upcountry" series he did with Weber or the Posleen War stuff, nor is it as good as "The Last Centurion".
If you like gritty military sci-fi, or post-apocalyptic sci-fi, it's worth a read.
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Orson scott card's Hidden Empire, second book in his Empire series... I won't tell you enough to spoil anything, but go buy it today!!!
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Finishing up "Last Arguement of Kings", the third and final book in The First Law series, Joe Abercrombie's breakout publication.
Its fucking awesome.
Main character is a Frenzied Bezerker. Fear the Bloody-Nine.
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Gardens of the Moon, the first book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series.
The first book I've ever read that was so complex in its descriptions that I have to stop at times and re-read sentances just to figure out what he's trying to say.
I find it refreshing, especially after certain fantasy novels I've read over the years...
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I just picked up and blazed through Don't Split the Party, book 4 of Order of the Stick. The bonus strips in this one were some of my favorite.
Going to start on New Spring (Wheel of Time prequel) one of there days. I've read all twelve of the main series but never got around to reading this.
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Just finished "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman. Very interesting. This is the first pure Gaiman book I've read, the only previous experience being "Good Omens" which he co-wrote with Terry Pratchett.
American Gods is predictable, and somewhat cliched, but what are gods if not cliches? Altogether a pretty good book. Enjoyable. Not epic, not world-shattering, but enjoyable.
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Not really reading, but teaching Jabberwocky to my English students. :D
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Just starting in on re-reading Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. Most of the way through The Gathering Storm by "Robert Jordan."
Recently finished up The Savage Garden by Mark Mills (art history murder mystery), Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan, The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom and The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown.
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Just finished Book 11 of "The Walking Dead". Very good graphic novels, but very dark and grim. I had to go listen to some Jimmy Buffett to balance the Force, so to speak.
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Gardens of the Moon, the first book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series.
The first book I've ever read that was so complex in its descriptions that I have to stop at times and re-read sentances just to figure out what he's trying to say.
I find it refreshing, especially after certain fantasy novels I've read over the years...
It only gets better from there. ^^
I haven't posted in this thread in ages so I won't list everything, but among the books I've read the Black Company series by Glen Cook stands out. Awesome.
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"A Mighty Fortress", by David Weber. Book 4 of the Safehold series.
Slow beginning, but it's starting to speed up nicely.
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Spook Country by William Gibson
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Currently reading Iron Council by China Miéville. I haven't read any of his others before, and it is one weird book, pretty enjoyable though if you don't mind a bit of liberal thinking.
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Spook Country by William Gibson
I read it and still can't figure out if I liked it or not.
The Gormenghast trilogy.
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im in a Lit class this quarter..
so far we covered
Tartuffe
Phaedra
Candide
Confessions (rousseau)
The world is too much with us
Dejection
On first looking into chapmans homer
ode on a grecian urn
Ulysses
In memorian
My last Duchess
Song of myself
we have ibsend, tolstoy, kafka and camus left..
at least i like the russian novellas... the romantics not so much..
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Just starting The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss because Penny Arcade told me to a while back and I have had a few family members tell me that it is "teh be5t b00k ev4R!" We shall see. I am optimistic.
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Just starting The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss because Penny Arcade told me to a while back and I have had a few family members tell me that it is "teh be5t b00k ev4R!" We shall see. I am optimistic.
I enjoyed this book a whole lot. I wouldn't call it "ZOGM BEST EVAR!" but he subverts a lot of cliches and wallows in others. Wish he'd finish the fskcing sequel.
Edit: May as well. I'm currently reading The Last Unicron Unicorn, though very slowly (no fault to the book, just haven't been reading much lately).
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I just finished Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. I'm still carrying it around, though, because that way I have a rebuttal to anyone I see carrying a Twilight book. ;)
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Just finished "Assegai" by Wilbur Smith. Mediocre at best. Poor pacing, outlandish plot, one-dimensional characters, weak writing. The book came fairly well recommended, so I was hoping for something on the level of Pressfield's "Gates of Fire". Sadly, it was nothing close to that.
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I just finished The Antichrist (or The Anti-Christian, depending on how you want to translate it) by Friedrich Nietzsche. Without touching on the content, I'm one of the first to jump to Nietzsche's defense when he's branded as a nazi, but I do have to admit that some of the language he uses doesn't exactly help his case. (Which may have to do with the fact that it was more or less commonplace before the thirties and forties.)
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I am almost finished reading Vampire Wars by Steven Savile. It iss really good so far, full of battles, vampires and necromancers. :D
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recently read the zombie survival guide, makes you look at the world in a new light for a while,
now i'm in the middle of a couple great books about python and XHTML!
i never could stand novels.... i'd rather read whatever the wikipedia random page button summons, or even a dictionary with decent etymology notes
oh and cracked
http://www.cracked.com/
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Just finished The Boredom of Haruhi Suzumiya. Having seen the Anime and read the Manga versions of these stories already, I'd say I like the Manga's take on Mysterique Sign (unless the Kyon's grandparents arc is added in later), the Novel's version of Remote Island Syndrome (In Media Res is hella cool), and the Anime's version of Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody (Can't put my finger on this one, might just be nostalgia since I watched the Anime first...). I can't decide which version of Boredom I liked best, but it wasn't ever my favorite story to begin with...
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The Darkness That Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker.
Going to re-re-read House of Leaves to bridge the time between getting the next books in the series. My girlfriend wants to me read The Book of Lost Things as well.
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Read both "The Eye of the World" and "The Great Hunt" by Robert Jordan in under 6 days, halfway through "The Dragon Reborn" right now.
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Data on the flood in Pakistan ; it's all bad news.
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Read both "The Eye of the World" and "The Great Hunt" by Robert Jordan in under 6 days, halfway through "The Dragon Reborn" right now.
stop at any time before book 7.
or at least know you have been warned.
6ish - 10 ish are balls.
> 10 gets better... so far..
Data on the flood in Pakistan ; it's all bad news.
[something crass] [/something crass]
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Read both "The Eye of the World" and "The Great Hunt" by Robert Jordan in under 6 days, halfway through "The Dragon Reborn" right now.
stop at any time before book 7.
or at least know you have been warned.
6ish - 10 ish are balls.
> 10 gets better... so far..
I have bought book 1-6 so we'll see how long it takes for me to get there, summer break is over tomorrow so I won't have much enthusiasm for reading when I get home
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Monster by A. Lee Martinez. Damn funny
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Re-reading The Eye of the World because I've finally found a copy of The Great Hunt.
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Anansi boys by Neil Gaiman
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Cthulhu's Dark Cults
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Ecotopia by Ernest Callenbach. Reading it for a university level Utopia/Distopia course. I'm actually re-reading it since I read it for a High School level Utopia/Distopia class.
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Reading The hunger Games trilogy,along with some John Grisham. I checked out the first book of the Hunger Games from the library and now that i love it i plan to buy all three in the future.
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Finished The Klarkash-Ton Cycle and the Trail of Tsathoggua
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Well, I've just started 1984 for the first time. The one I read just before that was Boneshaker, which is amusing to describe since it's a "Steampunk Alternate Civil War Zombie" book.
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Finished The Klarkash-Ton Cycle and the Trail of Tsathoggua
Just to be curious, is there any particular collection of Clark Ashton Smith you'd recommend? I'm trying to expand my collection of Weird Tales horror. The one I'm currently looking at is "Return of the Sorcerer (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/160701209X/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER)" -- it caught my eye because Gene Wolfe wrote an introduction for it and the others I found were too pricey for someone I've never read (or just period for the $100+ collections I found @_@)
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rereading plato.
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rereading plato.
in the original language that it was written? :p
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uh, ya of course (not), my ancient greek is a bit rusty..
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Recently finished reading Machiavelli's The Prince. Machiavelli was surely a very intelligent man, and he pointed out a lot of truths that remain true even today, but I take issue with the fact that his treatise on how to be a good ruler mostly translates to "how to stay in charge", surely at least in part due to the time it was written in.
Still, altpersona might want to give it a read, lest the "nobles" of the forum usurp him... ;)
Next up, some more Nietzsche. After that, Discworld. :D
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idk about usurping, but im game for u.syruping, at least in relation to pancakes.
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The War That Killed Achilles.
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uh, ya of course (not), my ancient greek is a bit rusty..
for shame! :pout
i'm currently waiting for my order of the hunger games trilogy to show up...
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The Child Thief by Brom
The library put it into rotation today, and I'd already put it on hold so I'm the first one to read this copy. :)
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The Communist Manifesto for class. Good grief. :P
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The Communist Manifesto for class. Good grief. :P
You say that like it's a bad thing. I've been meaning to read that voluntarily. :P
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The Communist Manifesto for class. Good grief. :P
You say that like it's a bad thing. I've been meaning to read that voluntarily. :P
I've read about half of it when I was supposed to write an essay on social democracy and communism politics and thought I might as well get back to the original source. I may be a left wing nut-job, but man that was boring
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The Communist Manifesto for class. Good grief. :P
You say that like it's a bad thing. I've been meaning to read that voluntarily. :P
Oh, it's not a bad thing. It's certainly interesting, I'm just not sure I agree with some points it makes.
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The Communist Manifesto for class. Good grief. :P
You say that like it's a bad thing. I've been meaning to read that voluntarily. :P
Oh, it's not a bad thing. It's certainly interesting, I'm just not sure I agree with some points it makes.
at least you haven't had to read Mein kampf for poli sci....unless oyu taking that class and have read it...
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The Communist Manifesto for class. Good grief. :P
You say that like it's a bad thing. I've been meaning to read that voluntarily. :P
Oh, it's not a bad thing. It's certainly interesting, I'm just not sure I agree with some points it makes.
at least you haven't had to read Mein kampf for poli sci....unless oyu taking that class and have read it...
No, can't say that I am or have. I'm not a political science major.
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Trying to start A Game of Thrones, but I can't seem to get into it. I finished the Darkness That Comes Before, I highly recommend it to anyone who's a fan of dark fantasy.
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Magneto Testament by Greg Pak, possibly the best X-men I've ever read
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Recently finished reading Machiavelli's The Prince. Machiavelli was surely a very intelligent man, and he pointed out a lot of truths that remain true even today, but I take issue with the fact that his treatise on how to be a good ruler mostly translates to "how to stay in charge", surely at least in part due to the time it was written in.
Some points that are still relevant, but I hate how he is associated with the realist theory of international relations, because it's bollocks.
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Currently reading Saberhagen's Lost Swords books.
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I'm reading Ways to Influence Your Favorite Author to Quit Stalling and Finish His Damn Series Already, in preparation of hunting down George R. R. Martin and making him finish Dance with Dragons.
Aside from that, I'm rereading my way through my library. Eddings (Belgariad, Mallorean, Elenium, Tamuli), Salvatore (Drizzt stuff, Cleric Quintet), Pratchett, Gibson (Cyberpunk), and Jacqueline Carey (Kushiel Trilogies).
I'm dreading picking up the Kushiel Trilogies again. Those books rip my goddamned heart out every few pages, step on it with high heels, then take flechettes to it the way Melisandre uses them on Phaedre. Every time I try, I have to put them back down - they're that good, that I don't want to put myself through that heart-rending emotional roller coaster again.
Also, part of my way of preparing myself for the last half of NaNoWriMo, in which I'll load myself up with inspiration via reading all those books during the first two weeks, then using the last two weeks to go into a flurry of writing.
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A lot of reading on my plate, got an essay deadline ahead of me and I'm breaking my habit of last night preparation. Der Derian, Hoffman and others have made their way to both my shitlist and list of people I find most interesting.
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Currently re reading book one in the hunger games trio, I recently picked the new book from the cam halfblood universe, very very good stuff:)
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I'm working my way through a collection of Clark Ashton Smith stories and my girlfriend is bugging me to read The Book of Lost Things. I'm also conidering reading The Road to see if the book is anywhere near as depressing as the movie-- my girlfriend says it is a very hopefully story, while grandpa says it's, and I quote, "depressing as shit"
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finished Towers of Midnight, top 5 in the series, 13 down 1 to go. woot woot
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Just read The Ghost King. Last book in the Drz'zt series so far.
Warning: Major Spoilers if you haven't read it
[spoiler]
Holy crap! What the hell was WotC thinking??? They just killed everyone! All the cool characters are all dead. Not satisfied with killing Midnight, Eilistraee and half the Sisters, turning Elminster into a quivering wreck, and both the Simbul and Alustriel losing their kingdoms, they have now killed Catti-brie, Wulfgar, Bruenor and Regis. Just when you thought that there might be a silver lining after the events of the orc invasion and a ton of good guys (but bit players, including Delly Curtie) dying.
The only one left is Drz'zt. Way to go WotC!
This is worse than Wizkids' absolute rape of the Battletech setting to bring in "Dark Age". What a bloody farce that was...
[/spoiler]
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Finished Towers of Midnight, currently reading the two new Dark Sun rulebooks.
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Picked up thee newest book in the fate of the Jedi series vortex
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finished Towers of Midnight, top 5 in the series, 13 down 1 to go. woot woot
Seconded!
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so far that top 5 is the first three and the last two, i (an i assume everyone else) have so much invested in that last book, it better be It.
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Went to the libaray tonight and got a number of books, I finally picked up The PRincess BRide,lol
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Finally found the time to start reading The Foundation (Asimov, of course). Been meaning to do that for a few years now
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World War Z
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Found Shelley's Frankenstein from a discount bin and I am about to start that. Thank god for vacations, they give me time to lick my wounds and just relax. And drink, obviously.
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the facebook API, can I drunk WOO00oo here?
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Just finished Sanderson's The Way of Kings.
It was a damn good book and I highly recommend it. It was 1000 pages of great reading. I'm very much looking forward to the next in the planned 10 book series. Too bad probably won't get it 'til '12.
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Currently reading The Art of War.
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I'd like to be reading Changes from the Dresden Files. Except the bookstore here doesn't have it. Guess I'll have to order it online.
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" " order " " it online
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Currently reading The Art of War.
which edition?
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There's only one edition by the translator I'm using. Then again, it's been translated and published by a looooooooooot of people. :P
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There's only one edition by the translator I'm using. Then again, it's been translated and published by a looooooooooot of people. :P
Lol, I have the edition that's black has a slip cover and has The Prince and Frederick the great's orders to his general
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Recently finished reading Machiavelli's The Prince. Machiavelli was surely a very intelligent man, and he pointed out a lot of truths that remain true even today, but I take issue with the fact that his treatise on how to be a good ruler mostly translates to "how to stay in charge", surely at least in part due to the time it was written in.
Still, altpersona might want to give it a read, lest the "nobles" of the forum usurp him... ;)
Next up, some more Nietzsche. After that, Discworld. :D
You may have already noticed it, but the Prince was biting satire. This guy gives some context http://www.idehist.uu.se/distans/ilmh/Ren/flor-mach-mattingly.htm (http://www.idehist.uu.se/distans/ilmh/Ren/flor-mach-mattingly.htm)
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You may have already noticed it, but the Prince was biting satire. This guy gives some context http://www.idehist.uu.se/distans/ilmh/Ren/flor-mach-mattingly.htm (http://www.idehist.uu.se/distans/ilmh/Ren/flor-mach-mattingly.htm)
Others disargee with that alternate character interpretation....
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You may have already noticed it, but the Prince was biting satire. This guy gives some context http://www.idehist.uu.se/distans/ilmh/Ren/flor-mach-mattingly.htm (http://www.idehist.uu.se/distans/ilmh/Ren/flor-mach-mattingly.htm)
Others disargee with that alternate character interpretation....
It's hard to tell - as we all know, it can be difficult to detect sarcasm across a written medium, much less across centuries. I can definitely see parallels to a number of modern comedians who take shots at politics in very similar ways, although his tone is more serious than that.
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got a nook for my bday, so im stepping up the reading for fun..
i found the latest bit to the true blood books, they are crap, but i like knowing what the show is ignoring.
im mostly done with the first dresden book, storm font.. not bad, might hit book 2 next, might not..
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got a nook for my bday, so im stepping up the reading for fun..
i found the latest bit to the true blood books, they are crap, but i like knowing what the show is ignoring.
im mostly done with the first dresden book, storm font.. not bad, might hit book 2 next, might not..
The Dresden books get quadratically better up to book 4 & 5, and then merely scale linearly :D I envy new readers.
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got a nook for my bday, so im stepping up the reading for fun..
i found the latest bit to the true blood books, they are crap, but i like knowing what the show is ignoring.
im mostly done with the first dresden book, storm font.. not bad, might hit book 2 next, might not..
The Dresden books get quadratically better up to book 4 & 5, and then merely scale linearly :D I envy new readers.
They do have to work their way through up to Summer Knight first I guess. The earlier books are great setup for later issues.
Goddamned Masquerade still shows up.
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got a nook for my bday, so im stepping up the reading for fun..
i found the latest bit to the true blood books, they are crap, but i like knowing what the show is ignoring.
im mostly done with the first dresden book, storm font.. not bad, might hit book 2 next, might not..
The Dresden books get quadratically better up to book 4 & 5, and then merely scale linearly :D I envy new readers.
They do have to work their way through up to Summer Knight first I guess. The earlier books are great setup for later issues.
Goddamned Masquerade still shows up.
Fortunately I started out with Summers Knight, but I know I would have kept with the series even if I started chronologically.
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I figure Jim Butcher positively delights in tormenting Harry.
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I figure Jim Butcher positively delights in tormenting Harry.
I hear Changes twists the knife even more, but I have yet to read it.
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I figure Jim Butcher positively delights in tormenting Harry.
I hear Changes twists the knife even more, but I have yet to read it.
You ain't seen nuthin yet.
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I figure Jim Butcher positively delights in tormenting Harry.
I hear Changes twists the knife even more, but I have yet to read it.
You ain't seen nuthin yet.
:o :bigeye
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Can someone post the reading order of the books please, I plan to make a trip to the library soon
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wiki // dresden files
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Ch'ae Man-Sik's Peace Under Heaven.
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done reading the frist two books of Dresden,along with the frist book dealing snookie stackhouse not gonna read the rest of that series,i'm also trying to read the frist book in Kim harrison's Rachel morgan series.
I wanna try to read all of the animorph series but i don't know if my library has all 54 or 56 of them,since the Y PB is put on racks..
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Struggling to go through Tony Blair's A journey. It is a tedious project, but I am determined to see what the dork had to say. On top of that, Shelley's Frankenstein is under my scrutiny.
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Some short stories by Phillip K. Dick.
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Reading Dune by Frank Herbert for the first time. Don't know why I put off reading this for so long.
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Reading Dune by Frank Herbert for the first time. Don't know why I put off reading this for so long.
Herbert's a little slow at the start, but once you start getting drawn in, it's impossible to put down. It's just the lengthy introduction and the steady progression of politics that turns most people off.
I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.
Anyways, I'm rereading my way through the A Song of Ice and Fire books in preparation for Dancing with Dragons.
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Reading Dune by Frank Herbert for the first time. Don't know why I put off reading this for so long.
Herbert's a little slow at the start, but once you start getting drawn in, it's impossible to put down. It's just the lengthy introduction and the steady progression of politics that turns most people off.
Actually the names and organizations are the things that are hard to fathom at first. But something you quickly pick up. And there isn't a great amount of descriptive characterization to allow you to visualize the more servant-like characters mentioned in your head. Nothing that immediately conjures an image in your head that you can use to keep the character straight at first. Eventually, yes, you can make out the differences between various minor officers but many times even when you can you still don't have a good picture in your head of who they are. Or at least I haven't and I'm only 1/3 of the way through it. It's good so far though. I'm getting drawn in.
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I just finished, as in about an hour ago, the second kingkiller chronicle 'The Wise Man's Fear' by Patrick Rothfuss, fantastic, long book, i've barely been able to put it down the past 3 days.
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finshed the dresdens, except for backup, im abit burnt out now, might go finish it later
im on the ropes between dune/eddings/bukowski/ulysses
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while wiating for a dresden book to be retruned to the libaray,i have picked up boneshaker YEAH FOR STEAMPUNK! so far i am enjoying it
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finshed the dresdens, except for backup, im abit burnt out now, might go finish it later
I think Changes alone is enough to leave smoke rising.
You sure you got all the short stories?
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no, just the books
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The Dragonbone Chair, by Tad Williams, with the intent of reading all of the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy before brushing up on the Wizardwar trilogy for a PbP.
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Currently rereading the Godspeaker Trilogy (Empress, The Riven Kingdom, and Hammer of God) by Karen Miller. The enemy empire in my current campaign is based off these books.
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Sadly the libaray doesn't have changes in hardback only an Ereader version which isn't supported by the kindle..... :shakefist they do however have the collection of short stories..
On the other hand I picked up "Imperium" by Robert Harris and i'm enjoying it so far,i'm also reading Black Hawk down.
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I just picked up The Trail by Franz Kafka.
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Currently jsut need to read Side stories to be all up to date on Dresden, I am seriously thinking about spending the 100+ to order all of the current books from the Sci-fi book club
Also have gotten the newest book in Fate of the JEdi and finshed it.
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Just finished reading Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller chronicles (or the two books that are out). The Name of the Wind and A Wise Man's Fear, both damn good reads.
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Today I read Kafka's Metamorphosis in the tram. I bought that thing like months ago and only finally got around to reading it now. Also read the first three Dresden Files books over the past weeks.
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Dickens' A Christmas Carol I found on the street back in the UK, Nabokov's Lolita for sheer curiosity and Lemmy Kilmister's autobiography, because he is a god.
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Just started teach yourself Asp.Net in 24 hours! ...two weeks ago :rollseyes
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Just finished Ghost Story by Jim Butcher. In 5 hours.
Now glowy.
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Just finished Ghost Story by Jim Butcher. In 5 hours.
Now glowy.
No spoilers, my copy probably won't be here till tomorrow.
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Just finished Ghost Story by Jim Butcher. In 5 hours.
Now glowy.
No spoilers, my copy probably won't be here till tomorrow.
I'm planning on picking it up here in an hour or so...
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Couple of obscure books about
the Chinese Civil Wars circa 1850 - 1875.
Taiping and Hui Rebellions.
Bigger and deadlier than WW1.
Brutal.
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Just finished Ghost Story by Jim Butcher. In 5 hours.
Now glowy.
No spoilers, my copy probably won't be here till tomorrow.
I'm planning on picking it up here in an hour or so...
Okay, I lied. It got here today. Four hours.
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Took a quick pause from Wheel of Time and re-read Redwall before picking up Path of Daggers
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Just finished Ghost Story by Jim Butcher. In 5 hours.
Now glowy.
No spoilers, my copy probably won't be here till tomorrow.
I'm planning on picking it up here in an hour or so...
Okay, I lied. It got here today. Four hours.
got doen reading it around 1:30 or so due to doing other things lol, all i can say is "wow"
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Just finished Ghost Story by Jim Butcher. In 5 hours.
Now glowy.
No spoilers, my copy probably won't be here till tomorrow.
I'm planning on picking it up here in an hour or so...
Okay, I lied. It got here today. Four hours.
got doen reading it around 1:30 or so due to doing other things lol, all i can say is "wow"
Well, Harry's life unlife sucks just as much as usual.
Oh Morty you know better than to tempt fate with that phrase.
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Took a quick pause from Wheel of Time and re-read Redwall before picking up Path of Daggers
Brandon Sanderson, the guy who is writing the new Wheel of Time books, also wrote the Mistborn trilogy which is very much worth picking up. It is just as good as the first few books of the wheel of time and much better then 6-9
Just finished Ghost Story by Jim Butcher. In 5 hours.
Now glowy.
No spoilers, my copy probably won't be here till tomorrow.
I'm planning on picking it up here in an hour or so...
Okay, I lied. It got here today. Four hours.
got doen reading it around 1:30 or so due to doing other things lol, all i can say is "wow"
Well, Harry's life unlife sucks just as much as usual.
Oh Morty you know better than to tempt fate with that phrase.
such good books :clap
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got doen reading it around 1:30 or so due to doing other things lol, all i can say is "wow"
Well, Harry's life unlife sucks just as much as usual.
Oh Morty you know better than to tempt fate with that phrase.
Now i need to read Changes again,now that I know who kill him,and see what the missing link fits in so i can go ahh now it makes sense lol
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got doen reading it around 1:30 or so due to doing other things lol, all i can say is "wow"
Well, Harry's life unlife sucks just as much as usual.
Oh Morty you know better than to tempt fate with that phrase.
Now i need to read Changes again,now that I know who kill him,and see what the missing link fits in so i can go ahh now it makes sense lol
Fuuuuuck, finishing it now, totally forgot about the release date!
Also have to start A Game of Thrones (since the episodes were so boss).
Also have to finish Three Musketeers (all of it, one big book, about 1/2 way through).
I have wine. I know what's up tonight.
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I'm now done with the Dresden Files series (all of it, except for Welcome to the Jungle, which is hell to get my hands on). Ordered the I Ching and the Art of War online and waiting to get it delivered.
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i dont recall I ching being a great read, no real plot...
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oddly i have been working my way backwards when it comes to buying the books in the Dresden Files series,I'll have to wait for next month to pick up Side Jobs sicne it's currently only in hardback, Also picked up Zahn's new Star wars books Choices of One good stuff IMO,can't wait for the 20th annivery edit of HEir to the Empire
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I just picked up Wind Up Bird Chronicles on the recommendation of my girlfriend, not my usual cup of tea but I'm enjoying it. It's fantastically translated.
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im several books into the Enderverse books...
did Card predict how google works today in Speaker for the Dead?
your common tasks predicted, not needing full keystrokes fill out whole entries?
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I dont read per se, they are to time consuming. I've gone completely over to audio novels. They let me multitask as I enjoy the novel. I find them to be just much more practical. Its one less then to carry around. Its one less thing to forgot.
I can listen as I walk, play video games (well some. TF2 is favorite of mine right now.)
That said, I finish listening to Seymour the Fractal Car, a radio play. Fantastic. I recently finished Old Man's War. Great novel, well paced very tight. I like many of you, I also completed Ghost Story.
I really enjoyed Ghost Story, but it really crowded. I felt that the novel, didnt really allow itself time to breath. The villain of the novel, and her LT, were given almost no time. It felt like, that their confrontation, was almost rushed. The confrontation between Dresden and the villain, was good. I dont know, I think there was close to novel worth of content in here. Maybe Jim was trying to catch up in being a novel or so behind.
I freaken cried during the epilogue where Dresden was checking up on what his dog was up to. Though, I felt having that come after the scene with brother, and their unicorn, was weird.
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i frequently use audio books also, its lots slower, but way easy, almost mindless.
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I am reading Flesh and Iron by Henry Zou. After that I will be reading the Gaunt's Ghosts omnibuses.