What Are You Reading?

OwaynOTT · 07-02-2012 8:56pm

shaneor wrote: »

Finished Red Seas Under Red Skies yesterday and thought it was a great read. The pace really picked up in the last 1/3 or so. It's right up there with Lies as one of my favorite books over the last few years. It's a shame the next one keeps getting delayed.

Also finished Raymond Feists latest "A Crown Imperilled". After the last few books were so disappointing I was worried about this but its an improvement. Still no where near his old heights though. There were also a lot of really annoying editing errors in the Kindle version which nearly ruined it for me. Its incredible that a big release is allowed out with stupid errors.

Trying to decide on what to pick up next. My choice is probably between "Before They Are Hanged" by Joe Abercrombie and Stephen Kings "11/22/63". I know I'll enjoy BTAH but might need a change of scenery after Red Seas.

Republic of Thieves looks like it will released this year.

ixoy · 07-02-2012 10:43pm

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Republic of Thieves looks like it will released this year.

I'm not going to bet on it. I reckon if we see anything it'll be one of the novellas he's also worked on instead.

OwaynOTT · 07-02-2012 11:07pm

ixoy wrote: »

I'm not going to bet on it. I reckon if we see anything it'll be one of the novellas he's also worked on instead.

Did he not say that it would be out this year on his live journal? Please say I didn't dream it.

ixoy · 08-02-2012 12:59am

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Did he not say that it would be out this year on his live journal? Please say I didn't dream it.

Not that I can see (on the Jan 18th):

Also, my site is temporarily in the grip of a mysterious placeholder. I wish I could say more about a couple of neat things, and soon enough I will be able to.

... And that's it. No more detail that I can see. So I'm taking a stab and reckoning it's one of those novellas that were promised years back rather than the full novel. Makes more sense if he hasn't gotten into the full flow of writing.

OwaynOTT · 08-02-2012 10:56am

ixoy wrote: »

Not that I can see (on the Jan 18th):

... And that's it. No more detail that I can see. So I'm taking a stab and reckoning it's one of those novellas that were promised years back rather than the full novel. Makes more sense if he hasn't gotten into the full flow of writing.

It was on Pat's Fantasy Hotlist, that I read it. Apparently he said it was going to be released this year after doing a reading at a convention.

ixoy · 08-02-2012 12:01pm

OwaynOTT wrote: »

It was on Pat's Fantasy Hotlist, that I read it. Apparently he said it was going to be released this year after doing a reading at a convention.

OK - did a little digging and there's a convention report here. The relevant excerpt is:

Scott did a reading from Republic of Thieves. it WILL be hitting bookstore shelves this year, possibly in June. He is contracted for 5 books, and if the publishers decide they like him, he will get 2 more books (trust me, they like him). Book 3 is where things start to ramp up, with the series moving towards some type of large war.

Hopefully true!

OwaynOTT · 08-02-2012 12:53pm

ixoy wrote: »

OK - did a little digging and there's a convention report here. The relevant excerpt is:

Hopefully true!

Yeah I read that report. It sounds great but I realised there's no quote from the man himself.
I'm a bit iffy now because wasnt there a press release from Gollancz(?) saying the release was pushed back to Autumn.
Ah don't mind waiting. What with the final WoT book, Red Country and so many other good books due it should be a good year.

Funglegunk · 08-02-2012 3:14pm

Someone forwarded me this list of science fiction books:

http://blamcast.net/articles/best-science-fiction-books

And I am currently working through the ones I haven't read. I just finished The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.

I thought it was absolutely terrible.

It's on par with the Dune prequels in terms of the quality of characterisation, they are so clichéd and poorly written it was a struggle to finish the book. And the alien race heralded as being so interesting in all the reviews I read left me feeling a bit 'meh'. I wouldn't recommend this book to anybody.

Next up: Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke. Can't go wrong with a bit of Arthur C, it's pretty good so far!

TwoShedsJackson · 08-02-2012 5:20pm

Some seriously good books on that list, at least those I've read, there's about eight there I haven't so must get cracking!

The one I didn;t like was 'Stranger in a Strange Land' have tried to read that twice and both times gave up about 150 pages in, must give it another crack some time.

Good to see 'A Canticle for Leibowitz' there, very under-rated book.

mcgovern · 09-02-2012 11:08am

Good list, I've read most of them. Finished Halting State which I really liked, will definitely be reading more of Stross.
Decided I needed to start finishing off some series before starting more, so went back to The Wheel of Time. Wasn't sure if I had read 10 or not (the reason 10 + 11 have been sitting on the shelf for so long), so decided I'd just read/re-read it and go from there. Only 20 pages in and already struggling trying to remember who everyone is

Zapp Brannigan · 09-02-2012 4:21pm

Not too sure where to put this but I was in Chapters today and they had the 10th anniversary hardback edition of 'Gardens of the Moon' for a fiver.

Bargain!

Ping Chow Chi · 10-02-2012 1:54pm

mcgovern wrote: »

About 40% through The Departure so far, its not anywhere near as good as the polity stuff. The writing at the start was especially poor, and I'm struggling to believe in the future world he has created, but its getting slightly better as it goes.

I got 90% of the way through The departure, then thought 'what the hell I'm I reading this for?' I really didn't care about anyone in the main story (the side story was a little bit better).

Just couldn't be ars*d to finish it. I will pick up his next polity book and any new series that he starts, but very dissapointed with this.

mcgovern · 11-02-2012 12:32pm

Ping Chow Chi wrote: »

I got 90% of the way through The departure, then thought 'what the hell I'm I reading this for?' I really didn't care about anyone in the main story (the side story was a little bit better).

Just couldn't be ars*d to finish it. I will pick up his next polity book and any new series that he starts, but very dissapointed with this.

He seems to do non-human characters better than human ones for some reason.

ixoy · 11-02-2012 1:52pm

mcgovern wrote: »

He seems to do non-human characters better than human ones for some reason.

I've seen him say on his blog that the characters serve the plot rather than vice-versa so it's perhaps one of the reasons. His AIs like Sniper are generally more fun as are the likes of V'rell.

Johnny Storm · 11-02-2012 4:15pm

Funglegunk wrote: »

I just finished The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. I thought it was absolutely terrible.

I agree. IMHO Larry's ability to write seemed to fall off a cliff around the time he started doing collaborations for whatever reason. "Ringworld" was OTOH was excellent in its day and IMHO his finest hour

TwoShedsJackson wrote: »

The one I didn;t like was 'Stranger in a Strange Land' have tried to read that twice and both times gave up about 150 pages in,

Yes its just embarrassing.

That list is an odd mix of superb and IMHO utter sheeeite

Johnny Storm · 11-02-2012 4:21pm

Ping Chow Chi wrote: »

I got 90% of the way through The departure, then thought 'what the hell I'm I reading this for?' I really didn't care about anyone in the main story (the side story was a little bit better).

Just couldn't be ars*d to finish it. I will pick up his next polity book and any new series that he starts, but very dissapointed with this.

I read it all. Certainly not his most entertaining book. His Polity novels which I really enjoyed were getting a bit same-y though so I dont like to knock him for trying something different. Apparently he has 2 more Owner novels written but not yet published.

wreade1872 · 13-02-2012 12:33am

I'm on a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen reading list, currently on the Faerie Queen, from which the Queen Gloriana character is taken that creates the first league in the Black Dossier. But i usually read two books at a time so also working my way through the Silmarillion (no LOEG connection there... that i know of

).
The Faerie Queen is an epic poem thing sort of like if you got the pilgrims progress, the divine comedy, all the king arthur stuff and the entire roman and greek mythologies and mashed them together, and about as long too. Its not boring though, there was a gorgon in it earlier and then the seven deadly sins and met pluto (some god) and morpheus (god of sleep or something) in hell.

Silmarillion isn't as boring as i thought it would be either... most of the time. Its not written like a novel though more like the bible but with more believable stories and characters that you might actually care about.

Before i started the Faerie Queen i was still reading the Silmarillion cause thats taking a while to get through but was also reading the Ballad of Halo Jones comic. Its pretty good, apparently Moore had planned 9 parts but only 3 were ever made, pity. It starts off a little slow but builds really well and theres the classic kick to the nuts dark humour thrown here and there that Moore does so well.

Funglegunk · 13-02-2012 12:28pm

Johnny Storm wrote: »

I agree. IMHO Larry's ability to write seemed to fall off a cliff around the time he started doing collaborations for whatever reason. "Ringworld" was OTOH was excellent in its day and IMHO his finest hour

I read and very much enjoyed Ringworld, which along with the rave reviews was the reason I sought out Mote in God's Eye. It didn't work out very well.

Sleepy · 13-02-2012 12:36pm

Coming to the end of Brandon Sanderson's "The Well of Ascension". So far, the Mistborn trilogy is living up to it's reputation. Only bit I've thought was a bit weakly written so far was

Vin's love triangle that developed as soon as Zane appeared. Was glad to see the back of him as a character tbh

Zapp Brannigan · 15-02-2012 1:24pm

Finished the Mistborn trilogy last night. It was a pretty good read but I had a big problem with the ending

everything just gets wrapped up too nicely with Sazed the faithless becoming God. I also didn't like that Spook didn't die, I thought it would have had more impact if he'd sacrificed himself to save the city like Kelsier

Started Orb Sceptre Throne, so we'll see how that goes!

Funglegunk · 15-02-2012 2:41pm

Just finished Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke. Pretty spectacular ending I have to say! Really enjoyed this book.

sentient_6 · 15-02-2012 2:49pm

I've just started Dust of Dreams. Toll the Hounds was a trial to get through, great in the end though.

JD1763 · 15-02-2012 7:03pm

Currently on Return of the Crimson Guard. Really enjoying Esslemonts version of the world. Two thirds of the way through Warbreaker, bit meh so far hoping it picks up soon.

OwaynOTT · 15-02-2012 9:40pm

sentient_6 wrote: »

I've just started Dust of Dreams. Toll the Hounds was a trial to get through, great in the end though.

These kind of posts are why I havent started Malazan yet. Even people who like it are 'Phew that was a slog.'

shockwave · 15-02-2012 10:40pm

Just started the mistborn trilogy, really enjoying Sandersons work.

Its a pity he didnt write all of the wheel of time books, he would have made a great series out of it instead of the long winded whaffle Jordan put out.

ixoy · 20-02-2012 12:05am

Reading "Containment" by Christian Cantrell. It was bought as a $1 experiment - it's sort of a self-published Kindle title, the sort that are doing very well at the moment.
I'm over half-way through (it's fairly short). Not outstanding, and a bit too exposition heavy, but decent for the price.

Zapp Brannigan · 20-02-2012 6:34pm

Finished Orb Sceptre Throne last night. Have to say it's the best Esslemont novel so far. Left a bit confused by some things though.

K'rul's a woman now? What has Tayschrenn become? Who was the with that Kruppe kept bringing stuff to?

mcgovern · 21-02-2012 11:42am

Finished Crossroads of Twilight, which I quickly realised I had already read, but at least it reminded me of most of the characters etc before continuing the series.
For something different in between, I started Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. Not too bad so far, but seems like its more intent on being good literature than being a good read.

Funglegunk · 21-02-2012 11:46am

Just started Hyperion by Dan Simmons. I am blown away by it so far.

sentient_6 · 21-02-2012 11:57am

OwaynOTT wrote: »

These kind of posts are why I havent started Malazan yet. Even people who like it are 'Phew that was a slog.'

I have to say its only been the last two that where like that for me, Reaper's Gale & Toll The Hounds, both of which were worth it in the end. The first 6 books where all fantastic, & my understanding is 9 & 10 return to that form.

What Are You Reading?

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