|
I just grabbed the unabridged audiobook version of Les Miserables from Audible. about 47 hours long so it's quite a brick (to translate into paper terms, 10 hours is the average lenght of a book, the song of fire and ice books are 20-25'ish hours if I recall correctly). The reader is Frederick Davidson, I hate his voice I really do and there are many audibooks I just won't buy because he reads them. However in this book it seems the director told him to cut the bullshit, because he makes a very good performance with few annoyances. I'm about 12 hours in and, having been a big fan of the musical as well as the Orson welles OTR radio play, I've got to say, it's going to rank among one of my all time favourite books. I really, really recommend it, audio or paper, whatever you prefer. Don't get an abridged version. The reason it's so long is that it's an older style of writing. It's basicly several books and stories woven together into one. Buy the unabridged thing and read it over time, it's worth it and is one of few books to actually ever move me emotionally. And I'm not even half done. http://www.mercurytheatre.info/ you can find the Orson Welles radio theatre version here as well as a collection of his other dramatizations (Including the original war of the worlds broadcast that got so hyped), I recommend checking it out even if you don't like the book. Les Miserables is one of those classics that may seem a bit pretentious to have on your table, but the book is anything but, if anything it's a vicious attack on pretension and human bullshit. A+ one of the best things ever written. El-Diablito fucked around with this message at 14:26 on Sep 14, 2012 |
#
?
Sep 14, 2012 13:07
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 31, 2024 13:30 |
|
|
Evil Vin posted:Just picked up and started House of Leaves. Interestingly enough, I had heard of House of Leaves due to Poe's (the singer, not the writer) album "Haunted". She's the sister of the writer. I'm reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I picked it up because I was interested in the events in the book being told by "unreliable narrators." e: sentence structure
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2012 20:35
|
|
|
oneneatcat posted:Interestingly enough, I had heard of House of Leaves due to Poe's (the singer, not the writer) album "Haunted". She's the sister of the writer. This is off topic but *thank you* I have had Poe's "Hey Pretty" in my head for ages, but I could not remember the name of the song or who had it. This post reminded me it's Poe.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2012 21:25
|
|
|
Just started The Red Pyramid with my kids. Kinda enjoy Rick Riordan. http://www.amazon.com/The-Pyramid-Kane-Chronicles-Book/dp/1423113381
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2012 21:59
|
|
|
It seems that I have won a copy of Meowmorphosis so soon I shall start reading that.
|
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2012 00:40
|
|
|
I'm working on A Clash of Kings. A bit late to the ASOIF bandwagon, but the TV show got me hooked even though I haven't read fantasy in probably 6 years.
|
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2012 02:07
|
|
|
Picked up The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty by Dan Ariely and The New New Deal by Michael Grunwald. Also got the historical fiction The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln by Stephen Carter.
|
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2012 03:12
|
|
|
Going through Kłamca 2:Bóg Marnotrawny by Jakub Ćwiek. Its pretty fun and a very interesting concept, about the Norse god Loki working as a hitman for the Christian Heaven. Loved the first book and the second one is off to a good start.
|
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2012 12:17
|
|
|
Just starting to read Embedded by Dan Abnett, I'm a fan of some of his other novels, particularly for the Black Library. It started a little slowly but I'm hoping it will pick up soon.
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2012 16:14
|
|
|
I just started Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer for my book club. I'll admit I'm struggling to stay engaged. I find the broken English narration by Alex off-putting and slightly offensive. In fact, so far all the Ukrainians are portrayed as goofy or uneducated. The supplemental "story within a story" started off slowly but I've started becoming more interested. I'm not convinced I'll make it to the end with this one, though.
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2012 18:44
|
|
|
I just started The Time Keeper from Mitch Albom. My mother borrowed from the library, the style of writing is a little irritating, but the story is interesting.
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2012 01:38
|
|
|
I picked up Under and Alone: The True Story of the Undercover Agent Who Infiltrated America's Most Violent Outlaw Motorcycle Gang by William Queen after watching too many episodes of Sons of Anarchy back to back.
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2012 10:57
|
|
|
I just started Snow Crash yesterday and I loved the three chapters that I've read so far. The intro was the strongest I've read since Blood Rites, by Jim Butcher, and it's been years since I read that one. I also got The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson, for my birthday last Sunday, and I'm not relatively far into its 1001 pages yet.
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2012 13:47
|
|
|
Started Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams last night. I haven't read an Adams book since 6th grade (The Hitchhikers "Trilogy") but his writing style is just as I remember it!
|
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2012 13:21
|
|
|
DanManIt posted:I'm working on A Clash of Kings. A bit late to the ASOIF bandwagon, but the TV show got me hooked even though I haven't read fantasy in probably 6 years. It's worth the commitment, great series. My wife is on the 4th book and needed a break because it was starting to drag a little, but stick with it and it picks back up.
|
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2012 16:02
|
|
|
A few days ago I started to read Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson. It is the second book of the series The Malazan Book of the Fallen. I didn't enjoy the first book, but a friend of mine is very fond of this series, so I give the second book a try. I also just bought the audibook Wool Omnibus Edition by Indie author Hugh Howey. I already read the first three stories with my eReader and I can heartily recommend it to you. It is set in a post-apocalyptic world, where people are living in a big underground silo. No one really knows what is going on outside. If someone gets too curious, he is forced to leave the silo, this is regarded as a death sentence.
|
|
#
?
Sep 20, 2012 01:02
|
|
|
Les Miserables, after seeing the trailer for the new movie this Christmas. To my shame I've not finished it on previous reads. I find the book itself to be astounding, and wonderful, but the interludes are a bane so I quit reading at the last and switched to a different book. Raven's Shadow, a $3 self-published book recommended in the Sanderson thread. Fantasy setting and so far I'm very impressed with the writing. I'm at the beginning still, but am enjoying it quite a bit.
|
|
#
?
Sep 22, 2012 08:10
|
|
|
Started reading Kim by Rudyard Kipling. It's kind of alternating between really dragging at some points and being impossible to put down at others, but it seems more of the latter than the former so far. It's obvious that Kipling really poured all his experiences in colonial India into the book, it's got the most immersive description of Indian life, both for the British and the Indians, that I've ever read. I'm really loving it so far.
|
|
#
?
Sep 22, 2012 20:10
|
|
|
I chugged through Under & Alone in a night, so I started up A Queer History of the United States by Michael Bronski. I had high expectations, but it's actually exceeded even those, eagerly discussing how race and class tie into queer history instead of ignoring it completely like a lot of academics. I'm not sure I wanted to know that John Harvey Kellogg invented the corn flake to help curb masturbation, though. Go Pure Society movements.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2012 06:10
|
|
|
Just started Assassin's Code by Jonathan Maberry. Gotta admit, I have had this one for a few months, and been kinda "meh" about starting it because the description was extremely kinda "meh" sounding. quote:When Joe Ledger and Echo Team rescue a group of American college kids held hostage in Iran, the Iranian government then asks them to help find six nuclear bombs planted in the Mideast oil fields. These stolen WMDs will lead Joe and Echo Team into hidden vaults of forbidden knowledge, mass-murder, betrayal, and a brotherhood of genetically-engineered killers with a thirst for blood. Accompanied by the beautiful assassin called Violin, Joe follows a series of clues to find the Book of Shadows, which contains a horrifying truth that threatens to shatter his entire worldview. They say the truth will set you free…not this time. The secrets of the Assassin’s Code will set the world ablaze. Now, when you read this you think "Oh... great. Airport fiction that has evil mooslims blowing up something again. What happened to my zombies and unicorns and plaques and poo poo from the last few books?" Then... you get a few chapters in, and you realize something that isn't explicitly stated in there. IT'S ABOUT VAMPIRES WITH NUKES Holy poo poo this book is going to be awesome. There's the usual airport fiction ameri-boners for patriotism and how iran sucks balls, but that's in pretty much any military fiction book. This one, again, has VAMPIRES, WITH NUKES. I cannot loving believe they somehow released this book and did not put the one thing in the summary in blatant big lettering. "THIS BOOK CONTAINS NON SPARKLY VAMPIRES WITH NUKES. READ IT human being" I have no idea what in the hell is going on in the book, but so far it's got vampires, nukes, the voynich manuscript and even a modern day variation of the spanish inquisition and I am not even halfway through this thing.  God drat this series is great.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2012 14:53
|
|
|
Stupid_Sexy_Flander posted:Just started Assassin's Code by Jonathan Maberry. Joe Ledger is one of the gooniest author-insertion characters in non-self-published fiction. Patient Zero was pretty entertaining, but goddamn the series quickly got ridiculous (also, I swear there were funny videos of him doing martial-arts demonstrations on youtube, but a quick search yields no results).
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2012 15:25
|
|
|
The series is pretty retarded overall, but I have read (or attempted to read) much much worse airport fiction. A quick google search for OH NO JOHN RINGO will clue you in on some of it  The first book tried so very, very hard to take itself serious what with the biowarfare zombies and the cults and whatnot, but by the time you get the full backstory of Ledger and how he's BARELY HOLDING IT TOGETHER BUT STILL FIGHTING TO WIN what with the schizophrenia he has with the various personality traits, it's pretty much gone full retard by the end of the book. The second and third ones are just hilarious. This one is a little better so far, but the main issue so far seems to be between him and his dog, and how it's not responding to his commands to he might have to put him down  To be fair, he did get the dog hosed up with a taser while fighting a vampire, so I'd be a little pissy as well. If you try to take this series as a serious fiction series, oh god I think you might end up with a stroke from the blood pressure caused by sheer stupid backing up in your mind. There is a distinct lack of liquid tasers this time around though, so that's always nice he's found a new plot toy to play with.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2012 15:38
|
|
|
I just started This Is How You Lose Her by Pulitzer award winner Junot Diaz. Really enjoying the stories and how they're written. Highly recommend it. I'm listening via Audible and having the author read it really adds to the whole experience. Definitely think that I will read/listen to his other works after this one.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2012 16:00
|
|
|
I just bought/started Schild's Ladder by Egan. I... don't think I'm smart enough to enjoy this book.
|
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2012 16:28
|
|
|
About to start reading John Mortimer's The Trials of Rumpole after finishing and thoroughly enjoying Rumpole of the Bailey. As with every new author I'm cursing myself for not getting on to him sooner.
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2012 12:52
|
|
|
BobTheCow posted:Please update us when you finish this! I just discovered Chabon recently, and although I've only read The Yiddish Policemen's Union so far I really dig his style. Well thanks to you sir, I know my next two books. Telegraph Avenue is first and I will follow that up with Manhood for Amateurs.
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2012 16:36
|
|
|
Just ordered Telegraph Avenue by Chabon. Looking forward to that. He's one of my favorite contemporary authors. I'm hoping to finish Cosmopolis by Delilo before that gets here.
|
|
#
?
Sep 27, 2012 13:47
|
|
|
Just finished Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky, i found it to be completely ok with hints of greatness. I have just started reading Lolita by Nabodokv and i`m really digging it so far.
|
|
#
?
Sep 27, 2012 20:26
|
|
|
Baudolino posted:I have just started reading Lolita by Nabodokv and i`m really digging it so far.
|
|
#
?
Sep 28, 2012 01:59
|
|
|
BobTheCow posted:Man this has been on my to-read list for so long now but I think I'm intimidated by it or something. Maybe I should finally give it a shot... Not in public places for fear of looking like a pedophile. (Is that a thing or am I just overly sensitive?) Honestly, my copy's cover was embarrassing enough that I felt weird taking it out in public... 
|
|
#
?
Sep 28, 2012 02:16
|
|
|
tonytheshoes posted:Honestly, my copy's cover was embarrassing enough that I felt weird taking it out in public... The Vanity Fair blurb makes it even worse.
|
|
#
?
Sep 28, 2012 02:33
|
|
|
tonytheshoes posted:Honestly, my copy's cover was embarrassing enough that I felt weird taking it out in public... Thank God my copy is just the lips of a girl.
|
|
#
?
Sep 28, 2012 02:36
|
|
|
nate fisher posted:Thank God my copy is just the lips of a girl.
|
|
#
?
Sep 28, 2012 03:26
|
|
|
And mine's this...
|
|
#
?
Sep 28, 2012 05:32
|
|
|
vegaji posted:Turn it sideways Oh my!
|
|
#
?
Sep 28, 2012 11:36
|
|
|
Octy posted:And mine's this... At least she looks like she COULD be legal...
|
|
#
?
Sep 28, 2012 16:43
|
|
|
I think if the cover of Lolita makes you uncomfortable and afraid of being seen in public with it, its doing its job.
|
|
#
?
Sep 28, 2012 17:19
|
|
|
This is one of the reasons I'm glad to have a Kindle. When I finally get around to reading Lolita all people will see is
|
|
#
?
Sep 28, 2012 19:43
|
|
|
Just started The Nutmeg of Consolation by Patrick O'Brien. Just one of the 20 books following the life of sea captain Jack Aubrey, each one better than the last, and all of them are a real pleasure to read. I think this is my third read through the entire series. I have just Finished Sharpe's Regiment by Bernard Cornwell. Another great, if formulaic, series from around the same time period.
|
|
#
?
Sep 30, 2012 00:54
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 31, 2024 13:30 |
|
|
 35% into it so far, and it's one of the more fun fantasy novels I've read in a while. I love subtlety/stealth/thievery in the fantasy realm, and this is really fitting the bill. Gotta love a charming con-man!
|
|
#
?
Oct 1, 2012 01:29
|
|
