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The Last Policeman - Ben H. Winters A cop has to solve a fishy-looking suicide. The problem is that a killer asteroid - with 100% chance of hitting Earth - arrives in 6 months and no-one cares much about police work anymore, and suicides are so common, there's a little more common sense in the whole "you're wasting your time" rhetoric. The main character/cop is kind of a nerd, and new to the job - refreshing in a genre that's filled with tough guys and grizzled vets. The world as it continues to deteriorate is presented pretty realistically (problems with cellphones, etc. are mainly caused by repair people quitting, there's enhanced military presence but it's not over the top, etc.), and the main mystery is pretty good. The sense of ever-encompassing dread is what really sells the book. Every conversation and action has this added weight to it, and it feels like a fresh spin on a detective novel. I thought it was great, and I would recommend it.
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Dec 20, 2016 17:34
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I liked Last Policeman too and enjoyed the other two books in the trilogy as well. He has a new book with a completely different premise that came out over the summer (Underground Airlines) that I've been meaning to read.
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Dec 21, 2016 02:17
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The Making of a Man by Tim Brown and The Rover by Drew Magary. Margary's text was a short that was a quick fun read. Brown's text was religious interspersed with real life anecdotes from his life in Football and outside of Football. Decent reads both.
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Dec 21, 2016 05:54
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I just finished The Stand by Stephen King. I read the uncut version and I loved the whole thing. Even the parts where there wasn't much action, I still really cared about the characters. I'm kind of bummed that I'm done with it. I know that there is an entire multiverse to Stephen King's books, but I'm not sure where go from here. I briefly looked online but I wasn't able to find anything that wasn't loaded with spoilers( I avoided as many as I could). Any recommendations for where to go next?
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Dec 23, 2016 03:39
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Need No Instruction posted:I just finished The Stand by Stephen King. I read the uncut version and I loved the whole thing. Even the parts where there wasn't much action, I still really cared about the characters. I'm kind of bummed that I'm done with it. I know that there is an entire multiverse to Stephen King's books, but I'm not sure where go from here. I briefly looked online but I wasn't able to find anything that wasn't loaded with spoilers( I avoided as many as I could). Any recommendations for where to go next? 'Salem's Lot, The Long Walk, The Dead Zone, Misery, or It if you want another long one. These guys love talking about The Stand. Franchescanado fucked around with this message at 03:54 on Dec 23, 2016 |
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Dec 23, 2016 03:49
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Franchescanado posted:'Salem's Lot, The Long Walk, The Dead Zone, Misery, or It if you want another long one. You're awesome...adding these books to my reading list and I will check out that thread too!
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Dec 23, 2016 05:07
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Cyteen by CJ Cherryh, again! My first reread of an incredible book, and man - I forgot how terrible the ending is. The rest of the book more than makes up for the total lack of resolution and Cherryh's unwillingness to write necessary slice-of-life-esque epilogues - the rest of the book has world-building in spades, thoughtful/believable characters, and interesting situations to think about. The book itself is about a group of scientists cloning one of their own (recently assassinated) and attempting to bring up the clone so she'll become a double of the original, able to take up her power and research from where the original left off. It's also about that same group of scientists persecuting the son of her murderer and keeping him as an isolated, paranoid wreck - because he was tampered with, mentally, and needs therapy that he won't trust. It's compelling, in a word. Messed up. I love it a lot, for how smart it is.
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Dec 23, 2016 08:42
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Just finished The Burning Light by Bradley P Beaulieu and Rob Ziegler. It's a couple hundred years in the future and everyone is psychic and much of (the Earth? New York City?) is underwater. A scourge is sweeping the planet, a new addictive experience that often leads to lots of people dying. That's a clumsy rear end synopsis and sounds way cheesier than it is. This novella, about 175 pages, does a pretty good job of drawing you in and maintains a brisk pace with plenty of tension. Ultimately, I think it bobbles the ending, but is still worth reading for people who want a different dystopian-ish future.
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Dec 23, 2016 22:58
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The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu. Comparisons to A Song of Ice and Fire are inevitable, but it does have an interesting contrast, since the structure makes me think Liu is deliberately trying to avoid the problems that GRRM has had since A Feast for Crows. The pace is much faster, with six hundred pages covering a period of about a decade, and while it shifts perspectives like ASoIaF, the lion's share of the focus is kept to the two main characters, with side characters' arcs kept to the periphery and often resolved earlier than expected. It doesn't have the highest highs of ASoIaF or its frustrating lows, and it has the texture of being a legend in the making instead of gritty realism, so it's not as brutal. Those of you who wanted to like ASoIaF but were disappointed at how it's turning out might enjoy The Grace of Kings.
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Dec 24, 2016 00:26
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Blackass by A. Igoni Barrett. A down on his luck Nigerian man wakes up one day to find himself inexplicably transformed into a red haired green eyed white man expect for his rear end cheeks, which remain black. I started to question where everything was going by the middle as the book seemed to lack focus but by the end I found it to be amusing and enjoyable. Not the best read but it's absurdity made it worth it.
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Dec 26, 2016 19:57
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Blindsight by Peter Watts Really cool read - it's primarily a thought experiment on consciousness and intelligence, but does so in a first contact scenario in an interestingly crafted future. It throws you in to the world and doesn't hold your hand, so it felt a little disorienting at first but as you start to understand more it's a lot of fun to piece together. The only thing I thought was a bit dissonant was the whole vampire thing. It's the only fantasy element in an otherwise sci-fi book, though it's presented through sci-fi means. Overall, definitely a good read. Looking forward to reading more of his stuff.
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Dec 26, 2016 21:12
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dakana posted:The only thing I thought was a bit dissonant was the whole vampire thing. It's the only fantasy element in an otherwise sci-fi book, though it's presented through sci-fi means. Did you happen to see this?
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Dec 27, 2016 12:14
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Just finished Words Without Music - a memoir by Philip Glass. Pretty good read though it kind of drags a bit at points . I'm used to more suspenseful works of fiction, and biographies/memoirs aren't usually my thing, but I generally enjoy the music of Philip Glass and maybe a bit more so now having read this and getting to know a bit how he thinks about and creates music. I don't have much else to say but Philip Glass is a p cool guy I guess.
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Dec 29, 2016 03:33
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Would like to read something by Glass but it would probably get a bit repetitive by the ending.
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Dec 30, 2016 15:08
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Captain Hotbutt posted:The Last Policeman - Ben H. Winters I just started reading his newer novel, Underground Airlines, and barring my enjoyment of it so-far dropping a lot before the end, was thinking about doing this series next. Now I probably will, thanks.
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Dec 31, 2016 06:08
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Science as a Process: An Evolutionary Account of the Social and Conceptual Development of Science By David Hull. It presents a series of revolutions in systematic biology (related to the naming of things) from Evolutionary Taxonomy to Numerical/phenetic taxonomy to Cladistics (the so called "Cladistics Wars") from the 60s to the late 80s, and from here discusses how social circles impacts success in science (in terms of citations given). He then presents a model of the operation of science as a selection process, similar to natural selection, in conceptual systems. I'm a practicing systematist and was trained in one of the hot spots for the cladistics wars so it was fun to see what my professors had been up to during those days. The philosophy of science makes sense from broad brush strokes but I am not entirely convinced of the argument on a finer level of detail. But, what do I know, I'm the subject of study, not the intended audience  An excellent read. I really appreciated how each chapter began with a statement of intent for the chapter and then a concluding summary, because philosophical arguments can wander a bit/cover a lot of ground and I have a short attention span.
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Jan 3, 2017 06:11
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A Tasteful Nude posted:I just started reading his newer novel, Underground Airlines, and barring my enjoyment of it so-far dropping a lot before the end, was thinking about doing this series next. Now I probably will, thanks. I've only read the first book so I have no idea how good the rest of the series is. If it keeps up the same quality as the first book, then it'll be a good read. Underground Airlines is definitely on my to-read list now.  Lately, I've finished reading: London Falling (Shadow Police #1) - Paul Cornell A group of British detectives get "The Sight" and are able to see the ghosts/memories/demons of London. It was just okay. The antagonist is pretty amazing (a witch who kills people scoring against her favorite soccer team), it's grittier/darker than your usual urban fantasy, and there are some really good twists. A couple of the main characters really sucked, and a lot of things that should have been deduced through their detective work happened due to dumb luck and chance - the author backed into a corner and taking the easy way out. It might make a reasonable enough diversion for all the goons out there who are looking for something between Dresden Files books. The Martian Chronicles - Ray Bradbury I mean, this one gets talked about a lot on here, for good reason. It was great. I was totally blindsided by the amount of straight-up humor there was throughout. Maybe I'm in the minority here but I thought the best stories - for a book essentially about Mars - took place on Earth. An excellent read. Now I have to go back and re-read Fahrenheit 451.
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Jan 5, 2017 15:53
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Captain Hotbutt posted:
have you read something wicked this way comes? read something wicked this way comes
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Jan 5, 2017 17:13
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chernobyl kinsman posted:have you read something wicked this way comes? read something wicked this way comes Pretty good advice for everyone in TBB
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Jan 5, 2017 23:38
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Dark Matter by Blake Crouch I actually really enjoyed it, despite figuring out a lot of the plot early on. I thought it was pretty well-written, and kind of reminded me a little of something Stephen King might write, only this book actually sticks a landing. I'm going to assume that the book has already been optioned, because it has movie or mini-series written all over it.
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Jan 6, 2017 18:30
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tonytheshoes posted:Dark Matter by Blake Crouch I agree, it was a little expected but enjoyable nonetheless. Also agree that it's a shoe-in for a movie or mini series. My guess would be movie. Who is the new Matt Damon? Chris Pratt? I can see this being the new "The Martian." Anyway, I recently finished Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. I highly recommend it, even though it is at times heartbreaking and hard to read. The construct of two sisters separated at birth isn't anything new, but the stories that follow are poignant and illustrative. I think this one will stay with me for some time. This should be required reading for anyone who is against the BLM movement (as well as watching the documentary 13th).
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Jan 6, 2017 22:13
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I also read Dark Matter last week and really enjoyed it. Good thriller that had me invested in the protagonist and kept me turning pages. Science was a bit hand-wavy about the practical bits but, from what I understand of quantum theory, the theoretical bits were handled and explained well. He mentions in the Acknowledgements that it's already being developed for film/tv. With 3 positive reviews on this page, i fully expect a Ready Player One-esque backlash to start at any time Also read The Phoenix Project, a novel about an IT organization making a transition from a legacy, siloed structure to a more integrated DevOps structure employing Lean manufacturing methodologies. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who works in a different field but I'd strongly recommend it to anyone who does work in IT. I'm a beardy Ops grognard who's never had much interest in the management side of things but this book has me considering going back to school for an MBA.
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Jan 7, 2017 16:17
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I just reread [b]Gardens of the Moon[b]. It's so much better the second time around because I actually know wtf is going on.
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Jan 9, 2017 00:02
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The Strain trilogy by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan Loved both of the first books. The third one was... well pretty bad. Too much angel and prophecy for me.
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Jan 9, 2017 10:55
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tonytheshoes posted:Dark Matter by Blake Crouch Lawen posted:I also read Dark Matter last week and really enjoyed it. Good thriller that had me invested in the protagonist and kept me turning pages. Science was a bit hand-wavy about the practical bits but, from what I understand of quantum theory, the theoretical bits were handled and explained well. He mentions in the Acknowledgements that it's already being developed for film/tv. With 3 positive reviews on this page, i fully expect a Ready Player One-esque backlash to start at any time Blake Crouch writes screenplays in the wrong format. They're fun and quick, but my impression goes flat after a day or two of completion.
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Jan 9, 2017 16:01
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Neuromancer - William Gibson It was great! Not much else to say. Y'all know about it.
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Jan 12, 2017 18:29
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Tana French - The Passenger 6th book in the 'Dublin Murder Squad' series. Ignore the series title because the books are actually good. Well, okay, the 5th one was not great and had weird supernatural elements but this one is a return to form. I don't read a ton of "cops catching bad guys" stuff but these books are quality; tight pacing, coherent plots with good twists, well written characters.
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Jan 13, 2017 16:57
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Regenesis - CJ Cherryh In a nutshell, too much Foreigner, too little Cyteen. The politics, the coup, the ending, it all technically fit but it felt off, like something vital was missing from the worldbuilding. I think the best way to describe it is that Cherryh recovered from writing helpless protagonists by learning to write hyper-competent lucky ones who get everything going their way, and hrrrmmm. With that in mind, Jordan was the single best element of the book. He created the best conflicts, the best scenes, and honestly I'd still rec the book if only to read his plot (and the azi one) - in other words, when it hews to character drama it's good. The rest of it is fairly weak, for Cherryh. (And in that frustrating way where it could almost be brilliant!) So I'm glad I read it, but onwards to another author, one who doesn't love long bus rides to a shoot-out.
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Jan 15, 2017 13:48
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The Cabaret of plants - Richard Mabey Describes plants and human's relationships with them via botany and art. Each chapter is self-contained making it easy to skip through if something is becoming tedious. This book was interesting in places and I definitely learnt things from it. Event - Slavoj Zizek I've never studied philosophy or psychoanalysis so I came to this from a place of ignorance. I found Zizek's style to be entertaining if a little meandering. Chapters seemed to lack a coherent point but were rather a collection of ideas but those ideas were at least interesting for the most part.
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Jan 16, 2017 11:38
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Shogun - James Clavell Read this over a decade ago for school but lent my copy to a friend who never returned it, then came across a copy by chance in the wild and decided to re-read it. Very fun read, super-dense and long but it goes by quick once you get going. My only complaint is that there's so much going on that the last 20% seems kind of rushed as if the author left himself too many plot threads to tie up, and the last chapter is basically one long internal monologue by one of the main characters where he declares that (vague)it really was him all along, Austin. Even the climactic final battle that had been hyped up for the whole third act only had a footnote at the end stating "these two armies met on this day in this spot and one army kicked the poo poo out of the other. The vanquished leader was captured and spent the short remainder of his life being tortured in an extremely ironic fashion". Even so, I'm excited to pick it up again in another decade when I've forgotten everything again.
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Jan 17, 2017 04:47
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C-Euro posted:Shogun - James Clavell I've read Shogun a number of times. Have my grandfathers first paperback release and it's kept together by duct tape now. Can't let it go. The followup novels are good, as well. Tai Pan is probably my favorite, but King Rat is a good read as well. If you liked Shogun, check the rest of the books out as you'll probably enjoy those as well.
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Jan 18, 2017 21:50
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I just finished Human Acts by Han Kang and it was amazing. Each chapter is from someone involved in the Gwangju Uprising massacre in South Korea, fictional accounts, but pieced together they give an amazing amount of detail and insight in to something I had never really knew about. The translation is really good, I hope we get more from her and this is another success for her.
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Jan 18, 2017 23:43
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Time's Arrow by Martin Amis Interesting experiment, writing a story backwards from the main character's death to birth, not just in the sense that the plot runs backwards, but things physically happen in reverse--people eat by un-chewing their food and putting it back on their plate, every morning the garbage men distribute trash all over the place, etc. The story itself was pretty interesting, too. Luckily, just as the reverse gimmick started to wear a bit thin, the story took a dark turn and kept me interested until the... end? Beginning?
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Jan 19, 2017 17:13
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I might get a hold of Human Acts in the near future
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Jan 19, 2017 17:17
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Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver is a really good YA story. I picked it up because I enjoyed her latest book, Replica, but I liked this one a lot more. The story is rather predictable, but that doesn't make it bad. Sam Kingston is a mean girl who, on February 12th, the friday before Valentine's Day, spends the day with her friends making fun of losers at school, cheating on pop quizzes, getting drunk at a party, goofing around in her friend's car on the way home... ...and then she dies in a car crash and wakes up the next morning. She checks her phone and it's February 12th. Sam goes through the same day over and over. It's Mean Girls meets Groundhog Day, and she's going to become a better person if she has to repeat this day for the rest of her life... which may or may not be less than 24 hours. It's got a movie adaptation that's releasing at Sundance this weekend, and a wide release March 3rd. I'm probably going to watch it if it's not terrible.
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Jan 19, 2017 17:39
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Barney's Version, by Mordecai Richler was fantastic. Despite having grown up in Canada, I never read Richler until now. I'll definitely have to read, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, as a follow up. Barney's had such a cool application of the unreliable narrator: memoirs written by the protagonist that read in a non-linear fashion and eventually become less and less reliable as it is revealed that he's suffering from the onset of Alzheimers in his late 60s. It's also shamelessly funny novel with a heartbreaking ending. Apparently there's a move as well, though I only became aware of it's existence half-way through the novel. Next up, The Sympathizer, concurrently with, Hillbilly Elegy, which is the selection for my local book club.
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Jan 20, 2017 22:02
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Just finished last months BotM It Can't Happen Here, appropriately enough the day after Trump's inauguration. The book was a wonderful example of old time American story telling, but it was the little details that almost exactly mirrored things today that were especially chilling. Highly recommended reading.
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Jan 22, 2017 00:11
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Khubilai Khan: His Life and Times - Morris Rossabi A very interesting book about Khubilai and his methods to expand or manage his empire. A very well documented book about the different cultures living in the mongolian empire.
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Jan 22, 2017 17:44
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devilwu posted:Khubilai Khan: His Life and Times - Morris Rossabi It's also very chilling because Khubilai Khan is a lot like Donald Trump in many ways
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Jan 23, 2017 00:09
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Eisenhorn by Dan Abnett (An omnibus including Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus) Highly enjoyable trip through the holy goddamn metal that is the Warhammer 40K universe. If you've been gazing over the smoke, las-fire and sheer awesome of 40K and wondering if this is for you, this should help you decide. A new kitten moved in with me while I was reading it, and I named her after one of the characters. (Bequin).
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Jan 23, 2017 00:47
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