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  Preordered these two. I have a the two from the past two years, so I can't resist ordering this years.
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Sep 30, 2011 02:37
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Just started Rule 34 by Charles Stross. Yep, if it exists, there's porn for it. Set in a dystopian Scotland of 2035, it's noir-ish and cyberpunky and pretty graphic. I never read Halting State but this is supposedly a standalone set in that world. I tried reading Stross' fantasy series, The Merchant Princes, a few years ago, but this is much more up my alley so far. I have to stop acquiring books, but I work in publishing. There's too many unread ones on my shelves.
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Sep 30, 2011 03:48
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Major Isoor posted:Ah, tell me how The Sign is! I've read all his other ones (TLT as you mentioned, plus Sanctuary I think it was called, as well as Templar Salvation; the sequel to TLT. Not bad, but I don't think it was quite as good as I remember TLT to be, although it's been a fair while since I read it) and have been keeping an eye out for it, and just want to know whether it'd be worth amping up my search for it or not. Only a few chapters in, since work has been kicking my rear end lately, but so far I am enjoying it. His writing style can lose me sometimes, but the plot is enough to keep me engaged. Pick it up if you walk by it. It wasn't that expensive at Barns and Noble.
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Oct 1, 2011 17:48
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I got these two awesome hardcovers today: There's 10 books in this series. They were only $16 each, which is pretty loving cheap for hardcover books in Australia.
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Oct 2, 2011 09:22
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Just got some stuff in the mail: Writing Movies For Something Wicked This Way Comes - I've been meaning to buy it anyway so it winning BOTM was a good excuse to re-read it too. Dandelion Wine- Another "meant to buy because I loved it so much when I read it a couple years ago" Madness of Flowers by Jay Lake - A followup to his rather good Trial of Flowers (set in a VanderMeer/Mieville-ish city populated by weird characters and strange happenings). Need to re-read the first book since it's been quite a while and I had been waiting for the sequel to come out.
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Oct 4, 2011 04:01
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Just started Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain. Loved his shows on tv and I've read most of his other books, and I'm just now getting around to his latest. Looking forward to it.
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Oct 6, 2011 13:07
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Edgar Allan Poe's only novel The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym. It's awesome so far, and I'm only about 40 pages in. Has all of Poe's gloomy and dark style but in an actual narrative instead of prose.
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Oct 6, 2011 19:58
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Haruki Murakami's Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World... in the original Japanese. I barely understand most of it with my sub-par Japanese skills, but having read the English version about a billion times, I can just about parse where the narrator goes on and on for about five pages about the elevator and whether the chubby woman ahead of him said "Proust" or not. Also it comes in two volumes, I guess this is a thing with Japanese publishers.
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Oct 7, 2011 18:37
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I'm reading Sean Russell's World Without End. I had this lying around for some reason even though I don't normally read fantasy. It's an okay book, though not much has happened so far and I'm almost 400 pages in.
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Oct 7, 2011 23:54
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About to start this version of Dream of the Red Chamber.
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Oct 8, 2011 02:28
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Phlegmish posted:I'm reading Sean Russell's World Without End. I had this lying around for some reason even though I don't normally read fantasy. It's an okay book, though not much has happened so far and I'm almost 400 pages in. Yeah, that is a very slow-moving book, I gotta admit, and the second book (Sea Without A Shore) is pretty good but rather slow as well from what I remember. I love Russell's stuff so if I were you, I'd read the two-part prequel series The River Into Darkness (comprised of Beneath The Vaulted Hills and The Compass of the Soul), which is much more engaging from the get-go - it's pretty light on fantasy and focuses more on the characters. Reading World Without End/Sea Without A Shore isn't necessary to enjoy the prequels. Encryptic fucked around with this message at 16:39 on Oct 8, 2011 |
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Oct 8, 2011 02:36
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Jive One posted:About to start this version of Dream of the Red Chamber. Have you read any other versions? The David Hawkes is my favourite.
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Oct 8, 2011 03:13
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Idonie posted:Have you read any other versions? The David Hawkes is my favourite. This will be my first time reading it. So far it's good except I think I might have trouble keeping track of the characters.
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Oct 8, 2011 06:47
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Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz. A friend gave it to me. Pretty good to far. 200 pages in I'd say I'm starting to get the gist. Funny all along though.
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Oct 9, 2011 01:36
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Just started the second book in the Malazan series, Deadhouse Gates. There were a lot of unanswered questions in the first book, and I'm hoping that I at least get some answers. Also, the plot to kill Laseen revealed in the first chapter will be interested to watch play out.
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Oct 10, 2011 14:01
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Chance & Necessity by Jacques Monod. Philosophical questions of modern biology (or rather the 60s-70s). I'm used to reading scientific papers but this is some heavy stuff. Philosophy  ! Plus it's the german translation of a french book so you know it's gonna be ultra obtuse. Or maybe I forgot how to read complicated texts in my native language. In the Wake of the Plague: The Black Death and the World it made by Norman Cantor. Exactly what it says, easy to read and really informative. Off to a good start here. married but discreet fucked around with this message at 14:15 on Oct 10, 2011 |
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Oct 10, 2011 14:11
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Starting The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Yes, I'm super behind on this one, but better late than never I always say.
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Oct 10, 2011 14:52
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After several start-stops and indecision about what to read including such diverse titles as Red Chamber(see a few posts above), Swann's Way and the Chronicles of Amber, I decided to just grab some random (good)books from the local library. I got 2666 by Roberto Bolano, An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser, a three novel collection by the Bronte sisters, and a collection of short novels by Henry James. I'm glad I did this because it got me out of the indecisive rut I was in and 2666, so far at least, is pretty awesome.
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Oct 11, 2011 23:40
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Just started Children of Dune last night, after finishing Dune Messiah the other day. Looking good so far!
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Oct 12, 2011 09:55
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Encryptic posted:Yeah, that is a very slow-moving book, I gotta admit, and the second book (Sea Without A Shore) is pretty good but rather slow as well from what I remember. I finished it a few days ago. Still not entirely sure about it. The dialogue is good - the pseudo-archaic English works -, I like the protagonist, and the duchess of Morland is a great (if overly perfect) character, but not enough happened plotwise. Also, I could have done without the naval battle at the end. I bet even plenty of native English speakers had trouble figuring out just what the hell was going on, given his propensity for using obscure nautical terms. But if you recommend it, I'll check out the second book. Don't know where I'm going to find it in Flanders, though.
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Oct 13, 2011 14:58
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I just started A Fire Upon The Deep by Vernor Vinge, and the concept of the pack-minded dog-like aliens is mindblowing. I can't wait to see where he takes this. I wonder if, after I finish this book, I should move onto the newly published sequel, or read A Deepness In The Sky first.
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Oct 14, 2011 08:45
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Have started Revelation Space, how long will it take to get into it! Need to set aside a couple hours.
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Oct 14, 2011 10:36
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WINTER IS COMING posted:Have started Revelation Space, how long will it take to get into it! Need to set aside a couple hours. Took me three whole attempts at reading before this one really sunk in with me--I think I hated everything in the first chapter at the dig site, but once I got past that, it quickly became one of my favorite books. By the way, does anybody else have tons of formatting errors in their copy of Revelation Space? In my mass market copy, there were a few times where paragraphs ran into each other and sentences were kinda run on... If they've corrected it, I might need to pick up a newer edition.
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Oct 14, 2011 14:19
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I just started reading The Outfit: The Role of Chicago's Underworld in the Shaping of Modern America, by Gus Russo. I don't remember where I heard about this book, but I think it was on a program on WGN Radio. I pretty much love reading anything about Chicago, and I'm looking forward to reading this book.
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Oct 14, 2011 20:42
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Phlegmish posted:I finished it a few days ago. Still not entirely sure about it. The dialogue is good - the pseudo-archaic English works -, I like the protagonist, and the duchess of Morland is a great (if overly perfect) character, but not enough happened plotwise. Also, I could have done without the naval battle at the end. I bet even plenty of native English speakers had trouble figuring out just what the hell was going on, given his propensity for using obscure nautical terms. Yeah, that's the problem - those two are certainly well-written - just not particularly gripping. I think book 2 picks up a bit towards the second half but if you really want to know what the whole deal is about : HUGE SPOILER BELOW The King's Man wants to activate Tristam's latent magic ability in order to use Tristam as a weapon in the constant arms race against Entonne. The regis is normally used to awaken magical ability and it also grants unnatural long life, though I don't remember why it caused the throat nodules that altered the King's voice. The reason it's failing to bear seed because magic itself is fading away from the world. I'm up for a Russell re-read so I may have to haul all 4 of the books out and read them back-to-back to refresh my memory about some of this stuff after I finish my current book. Encryptic fucked around with this message at 23:11 on Oct 15, 2011 |
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Oct 15, 2011 14:32
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I just picked up Clive Barker's third enstallment of The Abarat. I'll have to reread the first two books before I can start it. It's just so heavy and dense feeling. I'm looking forward to it.
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Oct 16, 2011 03:20
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Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold. I'd heard good things about the Vorkosigan Saga and when I found out (thanks to the thread about free and public domain books) that there was at least one installment of it available on-line, I decided to give it a go. Six chapter in and so far, this is an excellent sci-fi/space opera novel, with an interesting setting and well-defined characters; especially the protagonist. Yes, I'll definitely check out the rest of this series.
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Oct 16, 2011 19:55
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Just bought Dead Centre by Andy McNab last night, and am looking forward to starting it! Anyone else read it, yet? How does it compare to the others?
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Oct 18, 2011 00:46
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I just read The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Whether or not it lives up to the hype is up for debate. I did think it was well-written. Most of the characters were underdeveloped, with the exception of the best character of all: the circus itself. In the end, it was the thing I cared most about, and I was satisfied with the book as a whole. I am very certain that the book will make an excellent movie, though.
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Oct 18, 2011 02:37
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Tuff Voyaging by George R.R. Martin. I've finished the first two of the short stories and really enjoyed them. I've been in the mood for sci-fi lately. I've got the day off so I'll sink a few more hours into it today before I start drinking and eating.
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Oct 18, 2011 23:14
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A Game of Thrones box set by George R.R Martin. Been wanting to read this series for awhile but decided to reread R.A Salvatore's Drizzt series. Read about half of A Game of Thrones the first day, I'm hooked.
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Oct 19, 2011 02:31
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Started Jane Gardner's translation of Caesar's The Civil War this morning. I've been looking forward to this: I enjoyed her translation of Caesar's other book (The Conquest of Gaul) and it's an era of history I'm fascinated with. Plus, Caesar's a decent read too. It's too bad more of his works haven't come down to us.
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Oct 19, 2011 20:17
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I started two books this weekend, after realizing that reading one book at a time is pointless and wrong. They are A Storm of Swords by GRRM and McCarthy's Blood Meridian. Both are loving awesome so far.  Been awhile since I've read either author, and both books start off with a bang. I almost feel like I need to read Ray Carver or someone else from the Hemingway tradition so I can rep both great American novel styles (Maybe I'll add a Hemingway novel... I've still gotta get through The Complete Short Stories, so that might work).
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Oct 25, 2011 02:05
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http://www.amazon.com/Mercury-Rises-ebook/dp/B005DXOMPS/ref=pd_sim_kinc_51?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2 Mercury Rises by Robert Kroese Loved the first book, and the Author Interview in the link above sold me on the second one. "Wow, I just felt this tremendous disturbance in the Force, like a million people not caring at all." will now be stolen by me for some future use.
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Oct 26, 2011 00:43
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Half way through Battle Cry of Freedom by James M. McPherson. About the Civil War and the decades leading up to it. Very well written and encompassing for one book. Especially interesting is the rhetoric used by the politicians of the old south sounds eerily familiar. "States Rights!" A very good read if you have any kind of Civil War boner.
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Oct 26, 2011 10:13
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A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin. Is it weird that I'm 400 pages in and still enjoying it? I've heard it's meant to be the most boring one in the series and I dreaded starting it, but I've found it to be quite the opposite.
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Oct 26, 2011 12:32
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Octy posted:A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin. Is it weird that I'm 400 pages in and still enjoying it? I've heard it's meant to be the most boring one in the series and I dreaded starting it, but I've found it to be quite the opposite. Yeah, A Feast For Crows was actually my favorite one after the first, I don't really get the complaints. Of course, for me it might just be that a good chunk of the book was in Dorne and I've always liked Middle-Eastern and North African based settings like that. Also, as much as I don't like Brienne as a character, I liked that her chapters brought her into contact with the common folk, where the rest of the series focuses near-exclusively on royalty.
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Oct 26, 2011 15:15
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Puskarich posted:Half way through Battle Cry of Freedom by James M. McPherson. About the Civil War and the decades leading up to it. Very well written and encompassing for one book. Especially interesting is the rhetoric used by the politicians of the old south sounds eerily familiar. "States Rights!" Read this as well. It's a good book, really taught me a lot about the American Civil War. Right now, I'm in the middle of Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (the English translation, yes I know I'm a phony). It's fairly entertaining other than the exhaustive summations of the marine species he encounters. Oh, so there were scores of pavonari, caryophylliae, lepisacomthi, dactylopteri and acetabuli? I don't know what these words mean! Do these species actually exist or is he just making it up as he goes along?
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Oct 26, 2011 16:43
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Phlegmish posted:Read this as well. It's a good book, really taught me a lot about the American Civil War. Been a long time since I read the book but he's likely referring to sea creatures by their scientific names in Latin. For instance, I Googled for pavonari and it turns up a passage from the book that implies he's talking about a nautilus - "I saw there (but not dried up, as our specimens of the Nautilus are) pavonari spread like a fan as if to catch the breeze".
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Oct 27, 2011 14:05
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I somehow have missed this thread for a while, but I got a bunch of stuff from Borders closing sale. First book up is Foucalt's Pendulum by Umberto Eco.
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Oct 27, 2011 14:13
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