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What Are You Reading?

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    #1202
    TwoShedsJackson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,438 ✭✭✭TwoShedsJackson


    Just finishing up 'New Model Army' by Adam Roberts. Suffers from his usual problem, great plot ideas, starts really well, then goes off the rails in the last quarter.

    This is prevalent in almost all his books, some more so than others, but I feel I have to read his stuff anyway because his initial ideas are so damn good :)


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    #1203
    mcgovern
    Registered Users Posts: 4,267 ✭✭✭mcgovern


    The Passage had a good beginning, a decent end, and a completely unnecessary and drawn out middle. Chapter after chapter devoted to character building, which didn't really work, and wasn't needed anyway.
    Now reading A Storm of Swords part 2.


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    #1204
    ixoy
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 17,989 Mod ✭✭✭✭ixoy


    Reading "The Quiet War" by Paul MacAuley. Decent so far but I haven't been dragged in yet by any of the characters.


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    #1205
    Johnny Storm
    Registered Users Posts: 3,984 ✭✭✭Johnny Storm


    ixoy wrote: »
    Reading "The Quiet War" by Paul MacAuley. Decent so far but I haven't been dragged in yet by any of the characters.

    I thought it was a bit long winded and repetitious but I liked it anyway. The sequel "gardens of the sun" is more of the same but better IMHO.
    I have always enjoyed McAuley's writing. He seems to be able to write equally well in a wide variety of styles


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    #1206
    ixoy
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 17,989 Mod ✭✭✭✭ixoy


    Johnny Storm wrote: »
    I thought it was a bit long winded and repetitious but I liked it anyway. The sequel "gardens of the sun" is more of the same but better IMHO.
    I have always enjoyed McAuley's writing. He seems to be able to write equally well in a wide variety of styles
    A bit too much talk currently about soil and how complex it is. Having said that I'm generally enjoying it.
    When you say he writes in a variety of styles, can I expect different tones to some of his other books? Most sci-fi authors have a fairly consistent writing style.


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    #1207
    AnCapaillMor
    Registered Users Posts: 4,920 ✭✭✭AnCapaillMor


    Finally got past page 200 on the malazan books, i'm about 400 pages into the 2nd now. He really lands you in the deep end, no gradual introduction to the magic\gods\beliefs etc, once you get your head around it, its a pretty good series(so far).


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    #1208
    Johnny Storm
    Registered Users Posts: 3,984 ✭✭✭Johnny Storm


    ixoy wrote: »
    When you say he writes in a variety of styles, can I expect different tones to some of his other books? Most sci-fi authors have a fairly consistent writing style.

    Wellllllll .... as far as I can remember .... (and have resorted to an on-line bibliography)

    400 billion stars (and its sequels) is serious hard sf (with a suicidally depressed heroine)
    Red Dust (my favourite) is whacky cyberpunk
    Pasquales Angels. Alternative history where Leonardo's inventions have been implemented and caused a technological revolution.
    Fairyland -(my least favourite) really creepy **** about artificial lifeforms called "dolls", seems to verge on paedophilia
    Cowboy Angels - Thriller style conspiracy theory with multiple alternative worlds.
    Mind's Eye - Horror/X-files type stuff.
    Quiet war/gardens of the sun. Serious SF again but with the oddly languid writing style.


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    #1209
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Reading book two of the Malazan series and the first of Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series.


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    #1210
    mcgovern
    Registered Users Posts: 4,267 ✭✭✭mcgovern


    mcgovern wrote: »
    The Passage had a good beginning, a decent end, and a completely unnecessary and drawn out middle. Chapter after chapter devoted to character building, which didn't really work, and wasn't needed anyway.
    Now reading A Storm of Swords part 2.

    Well now I know why people are always talking about the red wedding!


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    #1211
    Rhalliord
    Closed Accounts Posts: 51 ✭✭Rhalliord


    Just finished WHeel of Time book ten, just about to start book eleven!! Am on the home straight now


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    #1212
    OwaynOTT
    Registered Users Posts: 10,536 ✭✭✭✭OwaynOTT


    Rhalliord wrote: »
    Just finished WHeel of Time book ten, just about to start book eleven!! Am on the home straight now

    Well you passed the litmus test that is Crossroads. Your lucky you weren't waiting for that to come out back in the day.


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    #1213
    Macca3000
    Registered Users Posts: 385 ✭✭Macca3000


    Finished The Blade Itself last week and really enjoyed it. Did take me a ee while to get into it though. Looking forward to book 2.

    First though, The Last Watch. Enjoyed the original trilogy so hoping this is as good as well.


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    #1214
    Zapp Brannigan
    Registered Users Posts: 8,326 ✭✭✭Zapp Brannigan


    Took a break after House of Chains to read The Hunger Games. Finished the first book in 3 nights but didn't really feel any inclination to continue the series (weak ending in the first book) so I'm back on the Malazan series. Midnight Tides here we come!


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    #1215
    Black Sheep
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 3,036 Mod ✭✭✭✭Black Sheep


    Finished John Dalmas' 'Soldiers'. Surprisingly enjoyable meld of 'golden age' SF style and military SF. The ending rushes somewhat, but some interesting ideas. Dalmas did appear to bolt on a couple of deus ex machina
    (if that's the right phrase?) in order to tie things up neatly. A human fleet, appearing outmatched, for example, suddenly discovers a savant super-mutant in its midst which can effectively plan unbeatable space combat strategies
    , for example.

    Reading 'Patriots' by James Wesley Rawles. Originally a shareware novel that circulated in the survivalist community in the U.S it ended up achieving a fair measure of commercial success (at least on that side of the Atlantic). It's horrendously badly written, but equally quite an effective scare tale given the current climate. The situation Rawles sets-up to trigger the 'collapse' of U.S society is almost identical to the one we currently find ourselves in. His U.S, perilously close to default, loses the confidence of the market and after the U.S dollar stops being used as a reserve currency by some countries it triggers a run that sees huge U.S inflation and subsequent rioting and looting that results in a quick collapse of transport infrastructures, food distribution, power and whatnot. Cue Rawles' gun-toting survivalist band holed up in an Idaho farmhouse with a bunch of .45s and bibles.

    It's turgid stuff but I've always found post-apocalyptica very compelling, no matter how badly written. And Rawles' plot is quite close to the bone given current events.


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    #1216
    giftgrub
    Registered Users Posts: 1,309 ✭✭✭giftgrub


    ALmost finished SM Stirling's Island in the Sea of Time.

    Picked it up without knowing anything about it....really excellent stuff.

    Can't wait to get my teeth into more of it.

    Before that it was Robopocalypse by Daniel Wilson....good stuff as well, an interesting way of telling the story of a robot uprising.

    Some of the writing was a little clunky though.


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    #1217
    FewFew
    Registered Users Posts: 12,746 ✭✭✭✭FewFew


    I was reading Dance With Dragons... but then moved house and I can't find it! Too many boxes to search! Getting withdrawal symptoms :P


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    #1218
    Hatgirl
    Registered Users Posts: 34 ✭Hatgirl


    Last week I read "Elantris" by Brandon Sanderson (the guy who's finishing off The Wheel of Time). It was OK, but a little... simple.
    Yesterday I finished "Dracula", by Ireland's own Bram Stoker. It was so much fun! Two thumbs up.
    And I've just started "Of Blood and Honey" by Stina Leicht. Set in Northern Ireland in the 70s and by an American author, but I have been reliably informed it doesn't descend into Oirish-ness. We'll see...


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    #1219
    sentient_6
    Registered Users Posts: 2,780 ✭✭✭sentient_6


    Finally finished Reaper's Gale. Very much a mixed bag of a book for me. First two thirds absolutely tedious & mostly pointless in my opinion(the awl, udinass story, & the shake), but it picked up big time in the end.

    On to Toll the Hounds. Very tempted to take a break & start to read Prince of Nothing instead, but i fear i'll never get back, so ill soldier on.


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    #1220
    meditraitor
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,207 ✭✭✭meditraitor


    sentient_6 wrote: »
    Finally finished Reaper's Gale. Very much a mixed bag of a book for me. First two thirds absolutely tedious & mostly pointless in my opinion(the awl, udinass story, & the shake), but it picked up big time in the end.

    On to Toll the Hounds. Very tempted to take a break & start to read Prince of Nothing instead, but i fear i'll never get back, so ill solider on.

    Have to agree, reapers gale was the first and only time in the book of the fallen serious that I found hard going, TTH gets back on track.......


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    #1221
    sentient_6
    Registered Users Posts: 2,780 ✭✭✭sentient_6


    I've been reading & thinking alot the last hour about picking up Return of the Crimson Guard instead, plot wise it's supposed to be the right stage. Loads of people complaining about his writing style though.


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    #1222
    Zapp Brannigan
    Registered Users Posts: 8,326 ✭✭✭Zapp Brannigan


    sentient_6 wrote: »
    I've been reading & thinking alot the last hour about picking up Return of the Crimson Guard instead, plot wise it's supposed to be the right stage. Loads of people complaining about his writing style though.

    I don't think he's as good a writer as Erikson but something awesome does happen in RotCG that makes it worth reading.


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    #1223
    BlaasForRafa
    Registered Users Posts: 7,020 ✭✭✭BlaasForRafa


    sentient_6 wrote: »
    I've been reading & thinking alot the last hour about picking up Return of the Crimson Guard instead, plot wise it's supposed to be the right stage. Loads of people complaining about his writing style though.

    I read Night of Knives a few years ago and enjoyed it quite a lot. Its definitely a different style from Erikson, not as epic by any means, but thats not a bad thing.


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    #1224
    Bits_n_Bobs
    Registered Users Posts: 1,300 ✭✭✭Bits_n_Bobs


    Zoo City by Lauren Beukes - picked it up in the shop based purely on the fact that it had won the Arthur C Clarke award.

    Interesting and fairly compelling read, somewhat let down by patchy dialogue - I kept wanting it to be a bit snappier. Nevertheless I definitely enjoyed it and have no problem in recommending it.


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    #1225
    ixoy
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 17,989 Mod ✭✭✭✭ixoy


    Currently reading "A Shadow in Summer" by Daniel Abraham, the first book in his "Long Price" quartet. Quite enjoying it so far - interesting idea with magic here and the characters have promise.


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    #1226
    BlaasForRafa
    Registered Users Posts: 7,020 ✭✭✭BlaasForRafa


    ixoy wrote: »
    Currently reading "A Shadow in Summer" by Daniel Abraham, the first book in his "Long Price" quartet. Quite enjoying it so far - interesting idea with magic here and the characters have promise.

    Ah the first hardcover of that series is in my "to be read" pile, it looks interesting alright.


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    #1227
    Hatgirl
    Registered Users Posts: 34 ✭Hatgirl


    Bits_n_Bobs wrote: »
    Zoo City by Lauren Beukes - picked it up in the shop based purely on the fact that it had won the Arthur C Clarke award.

    Interesting and fairly compelling read, somewhat let down by patchy dialogue - I kept wanting it to be a bit snappier. Nevertheless I definitely enjoyed it and have no problem in recommending it.

    Ooh, yes. Zoo City gets two big thumbs up from me.


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    #1228
    mcgovern
    Registered Users Posts: 4,267 ✭✭✭mcgovern


    Finished part 2 of A Storm of Swords which was brilliant as usual, and also read The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. One of the better "modern vampire" novels but still missing something.
    Just started The Player of Games by Banks.


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    #1229
    OwaynOTT
    Registered Users Posts: 10,536 ✭✭✭✭OwaynOTT


    ixoy wrote: »
    Currently reading "A Shadow in Summer" by Daniel Abraham, the first book in his "Long Price" quartet. Quite enjoying it so far - interesting idea with magic here and the characters have promise.

    Keep eying that series every time I walk into a book store that has it but for some reason I never pick it up. Might have something to do with his short story collection, Leviathan Wept, in which I put down by the third story.

    Would love to know if its worth a read.


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    #1230
    meditraitor
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,207 ✭✭✭meditraitor


    OwaynOTT wrote: »
    Keep eying that series every time I walk into a book store that has it but for some reason I never pick it up. Might have something to do with his short story collection, Leviathan Wept, in which I put down by the third story.

    Would love to know if its worth a read.

    Not great imho,


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    #1231
    AnCapaillMor
    Registered Users Posts: 4,920 ✭✭✭AnCapaillMor


    A memory of ice, book 3 of the malazan series, awesome awesome books.


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