What Are You Reading?

Nody · 08-09-2013 5:14am

RoboAmish wrote: »

Ha, not very encouraging! Oh well, better to go in with measured expectations, I suppose.

Don't worry, he's simply wrong and most of us think it's a great book

ixoy · 08-09-2013 1:10pm

Reading Neal Asher's "The Departure", the first in his Owner trilogy. I'm 10% in and honestly not all that impressed so far. It's a dystopian future and it feels a little dull. Flat characters, a somewhat unimaginative world and action that hasn't really grabbed me yet. It's nowhere on a par with his Polity work. Still I'll persevere as it might turn out better and I see the later books are more highly rated.

shaneor · 08-09-2013 1:38pm

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Getting impatient for Republic of Thieves, is anyone else with me here?

Absolutely! It's just about top of my "will it ever hurry up and get here" list. Only competition would be The Doors of Stone and The Winds of Winter but both of those are long off.

I'm trying to decide when I need to start a reread of Lies and Red Seas to be done just before it comes out!

shaneor · 08-09-2013 1:43pm

Finished Red Knight by Miles Cameron and actually enjoyed it in the end. Once it stopped having 10 parallel stories and brought things together it was a lot better. Not perfect by any means but its promising for the rest of the series.

Dipped into some classic SciFi with The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester and it was a bit "meh". Some interesting bits let down by the pacing being all over the place and the writing feeling dated.

Currently reading the first in the Black Company series by Glen Cook. It really dumps you into the middle of the story with no setup but interesting enough so far. I'll definitely continue the series but it probably won't jump right to the top of my list.

OwaynOTT · 08-09-2013 3:18pm

shaneor wrote: »

Finished Red Knight by Miles Cameron and actually enjoyed it in the end. Once it stopped having 10 parallel stories and brought things together it was a lot better. Not perfect by any means but its promising for the rest of the series.

Dipped into some classic SciFi with The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester and it was a bit "meh". Some interesting bits let down by the pacing being all over the place and the writing feeling dated.

Currently reading the first in the Black Company series by Glen Cook. It really dumps you into the middle of the story with no setup but interesting enough so far. I'll definitely continue the series but it probably won't jump right to the top of my list.

That turned me off at about the 200 page mark, which was a pity because I enjoyed the start so much. I migh try and finish it when I get a chance now.

OwaynOTT · 08-09-2013 3:19pm

shaneor wrote: »

Absolutely! It's just about top of my "will it ever hurry up and get here" list. Only competition would be The Doors of Stone and The Winds of Winter but both of those are long off.

I'm trying to decide when I need to start a reread of Lies and Red Seas to be done just before it comes out!

I haven't even thought about doing a reread for it. Just doesn't strike me as needing it, unlike Game of Thrones, WoT and Kingkiller Chronicle.

RoboAmish · 08-09-2013 5:11pm

Nody wrote: »

Don't worry, he's simply wrong and most of us think it's a great book

Ah now, that sounds better:D

And yes, very much looking forward to Republic of Thieves. No real need to re-read it for me though... despite convoluted enough plots in the novels themselves, the mythos itself isn't too unwieldy at all and there aren't too many characters to try and keep tabs on.

shaneor · 09-09-2013 10:04am

OwaynOTT wrote: »

I haven't even thought about doing a reread for it. Just doesn't strike me as needing it, unlike Game of Thrones, WoT and Kingkiller Chronicle.

I agree it probably doesn't need a reread but its a good excuse to reread two of my favorite books in the last few years instead of getting through my to-read pile!

Raging_Ninja · 10-09-2013 1:30pm

ixoy wrote: »

Reading Neal Asher's "The Departure", the first in his Owner trilogy. I'm 10% in and honestly not all that impressed so far. It's a dystopian future and it feels a little dull. Flat characters, a somewhat unimaginative world and action that hasn't really grabbed me yet. It's nowhere on a par with his Polity work. Still I'll persevere as it might turn out better and I see the later books are more highly rated.

Read thst s month ago. It's ok, nothing special, but I did end up buying the next book.

bradyle · 10-09-2013 3:03pm

Finished Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone...It was really good...I loved the concept of the world it was set in!

Kinda went through a meh phase then about starting a new book until i happened to remember I had Joe Abercrombie's First Law Trilogy on my kindle...started it last night and I must say I felt pulled in straightaway...not to far into it obviously but so far so good!

Nody · 10-09-2013 4:15pm

bradyle wrote: »

Kinda went through a meh phase then about starting a new book until i happened to remember I had Joe Abercrombie's First Law Trilogy on my kindle...started it last night and I must say I felt pulled in straightaway...not to far into it obviously but so far so good!

They are bloody brilliant inc. the stand alones later...

TwoShedsJackson · 10-09-2013 4:27pm

bradyle wrote: »

Finished Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone...It was really good...I loved the concept of the world it was set in!

Kinda went through a meh phase then about starting a new book until i happened to remember I had Joe Abercrombie's First Law Trilogy on my kindle...started it last night and I must say I felt pulled in straightaway...not to far into it obviously but so far so good!

That's a fantastic trilogy, Glokta is one of the best characters ever, and Logen too.. Sod it I'm going to read them again too!

5live · 10-09-2013 10:19pm

Nody wrote: »

Don't worry, he's simply wrong and most of us think it's a great book

I stopped reading after the explosion, dont like SF mixed up with my fantasy, but went back and finished it today.

Its a good book, imo, enough to get King of Thorns anyway. I'm not sure i like the prince as a character yet but its getting there.

OwaynOTT · 10-09-2013 11:59pm

5live wrote: »

I stopped reading after the explosion, dont like SF mixed up with my fantasy, but went back and finished it today.

Its a good book, imo, enough to get King of Thorns anyway. I'm not sure i like the prince as a character yet but its getting there.

I found it a difficult book to get into and dropped it after a little while. Kept reading about the positive reviews and decided to attempt it again.
Finished the book and enjoyed it enough to get the follow up.
Second book was far better. Jorg wasn't as assholey, which was the turn off for me in the first. He was still an absolute bastard but he mellowed a bit.
The 2 simultaneous timelines were handled well.
If the 3 continues the upward trend, I reckon it will be an great book rounding off one of the best trilogies of the century.
It's also selling like hotcakes with over 200000 sale.

5live · 11-09-2013 1:32pm

OwaynOTT wrote: »

I found it a difficult book to get into and dropped it after a little while. Kept reading about the positive reviews and decided to attempt it again.
Finished the book and enjoyed it enough to get the follow up.
Second book was far better. Jorg wasn't as assholey, which was the turn off for me in the first. He was still an absolute bastard but he mellowed a bit.
The 2 simultaneous timelines were handled well.
If the 3 continues the upward trend, I reckon it will be an great book rounding off one of the best trilogies of the century.
It's also selling like hotcakes with over 200000 sale.

I love this quote from 'King'

'The way I'd put it' said Makin, 'is that Rike can't make an omelette without wading thigh deep in the blood of chickens and wearing their entrails as a necklace'.

OwaynOTT · 11-09-2013 6:50pm

5live wrote: »

I love this quote from 'King'

'The way I'd put it' said Makin, 'is that Rike can't make an omelette without wading thigh deep in the blood of chickens and wearing their entrails as a necklace'.

There's some great passages of writing in it for sure.

salacious crumb · 12-09-2013 8:19am

Finished my last book, so had to dig through the stuff I've had for years and never read, came up with Hellboy - Odd Jobs. A collection of short stories by people such as Christopher Golden, Poppy Z. Brite, Nancy Holder, Max Allan Collins among others, and of course Mike Mignola.

mcgovern · 14-09-2013 2:10pm

Finished Dwarves, don't think I'll bother with the sequels, though its not terrible.
Was on holidays, so also read Hull Three Zero by Greg Bear, it was ok, but missing something. It was too short I think, didn't delve deeply enough into the background or the ship.
Now reading Return of the Crimson Guard by ICE. Again, its not quite as good as Erikson's work, but its still very enjoyable.

OwaynOTT · 15-09-2013 7:26am

Cold days by Jim Butcher, can't never argue with a Dresden novel.
Now next is Shift by Hugh Howey a prequel sequel to Wool.

old hippy · 15-09-2013 6:24pm

Iain Banks "Transition". Something to do with parallel realities. Not as involving as I hoped but I'll stick with it.

bradyle · 16-09-2013 11:05am

Literally spent all weekend on Joe Abercrombie’s First Law Trilogy…They really are amazing books! Soon as I’m no longer in saving mode the stand alone stories and shorts will be my first purchase…make that second after Brandon Sanderson’s new book about to come out!!

Going to attempt to once again try and final finish wheel of time books next. I’ve finished up to book 10 not so long ago so hopefully will get through them now this time!

keane2097 · 16-09-2013 1:24pm

Started The Blade Itself. It's ok so far.

AnCapaillMor · 18-09-2013 11:45am

OwaynOTT wrote: »

If the 3 continues the upward trend, I reckon it will be an great book rounding off one of the best trilogies of the century.
It's also selling like hotcakes with over 200000 sale.

Finished it about 2 weeks ago, not overly impressed. It just got predictable and it just generally got waay out there too much by the end.

Got and read the first few books in the mageborn series by Michael G Manning. Don't what to make of it. It's alright but the writing can be a bit simple at times.

shaneor · 18-09-2013 5:38pm

Finished The Black Company by Glen Cook and it was a decent read. Interesting characters and world even if both only scrape the surface of the detail. I'll more than likely pick up the sequels at some stage to see how much more of the world and backstory it shows

shaneor wrote: »

I agree it probably doesn't need a reread but its a good excuse to reread two of my favorite books in the last few years instead of getting through my to-read pile!

I gave in to temptation and started a reread of Lie of Locke Lamora. It definitely holds up to a reread and is just making me even more impatient for The Republic of Thieves!

Valaquenta · 19-09-2013 12:44pm

shaneor wrote: »

Finished The Black Company by Glen Cook and it was a decent read. Interesting characters and world even if both only scrape the surface of the detail. I'll more than likely pick up the sequels at some stage to see how much more of the world and backstory it shows

I'm near the end of the 3rd Omnibus. It's only starting to hint at the origins of the Black Company. Hoping it's revealed later this book or in the 4th and final Omnibus.

ixoy · 19-09-2013 2:02pm

Reading a short story collection - "Long Eyes" by Jeff Carlson. Honestly haven't been impressed so far. Not sure I like his writing style. I'll continue on to see if there's any I like. It was a free Kindle download so no real loss if I don't.

Paddy Samurai · 19-09-2013 7:54pm

Emperor of Thorns
About 70% through....

ChrisM · 20-09-2013 9:10am

Just finished Player of Games by Iain M. Banks. Great story, that grips you from start to finish. All in all this is a fantastic book, and quite tough to put down.

I also just finished 1984. It was incredibly easy to read, Orwell's writing style is amazing. It is easy to see why this is a classic.

I have been working my way through Hyperion, it is very gripping, and now I have more time to get stuck into it. I'd give it 7.5/10, at 15% of the way through.

I am starting Doomsday Book by Connie Willis tonight - can't wait :-)

ixoy · 20-09-2013 10:08pm

Reading "Petroplague" by Amy Rogers. Another cheap e-Book that I bought a while back, it's a techno-thriller set in LA about a bacteria that breaks down oil and the consequences. I'm 21% in and it's pretty decent if nothing spectacular in any area. Only cost me $2.45.

bradyle · 23-09-2013 10:29am

I have just finished Knife of Dreams the last book that Robert Jordan finished in WoT must say I really enjoyed it. It completely pulled me in and when it was finished I could not wait to get started on the next one. A very big change from when I finished Crossroads!! So far really enjoying The Gathering Storm I'm a big Brandon Sanderson fan but I am glad he sticks to the characters and hasn't seemed to make any big changes to them so far altho I'm happy to see that there's been less tugging of braids

TwoShedsJackson · 23-09-2013 3:31pm

Reading 'Ace of Skulls' the fourth, and apparently last, in the Chris Wooding 'Ketty Jay' series. Still ripping off Firefly like nobody's business but good fun read all the same.

thusspakeblixa · 27-09-2013 11:05am

Just started Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale last night. It's very good so far.

Kewreeuss · 27-09-2013 11:42am

Have just finished Ecko Rising by Danie Ware, good take on are we players or are we being played. Looking forward to next book.
Have also finally put down Greg Egans the clockwork rocket.
The science was a hard slog, my eyes frequently glazed over and an awful lack of humour throughout. It took me a long while to warm to it, but I did and I would read the next instalment.
On my bedside locker I have an anthology called songs of the dying earth and is based on jack vance's the dying earth. Good to dip into.
I have just started abaddon's gate, grand rollicking read! Luuuv space operas.
When that is finished I have a book by Paul mcauley, who I haven't read before called evenings empire.

Raif Severance · 27-09-2013 12:47pm

Kewreeuss wrote: »

Have just finished Ecko Rising by Danie Ware, good take on are we players or are we being played. Looking forward to next book.
Have also finally put down Greg Egans the clockwork rocket.
The science was a hard slog, my eyes frequently glazed over and an awful lack of humour throughout. It took me a long while to warm to it, but I did and I would read the next instalment.
On my bedside locker I have an anthology called songs of the dying earth and is based on jack vance's the dying earth. Good to dip into.
I have just started abaddon's gate, grand rollicking read! Luuuv space operas.
When that is finished I have a book by Paul mcauley, who I haven't read before called evenings empire.

Stephen R. Donaldson, the Author of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant Novels, also did a collection of short stories inspired by Vance's Dying Earth, it's called Reave the Just and Other Tales.

You might want to check that out too.

Kewreeuss · 27-09-2013 1:22pm

Thanks, will have a look.
This anthology was good because each author brought their own style and interpretation to it; ie silverberg, Kane baker, Eisenstein, Shepard , Simmons, Gaiman and others.

ixoy · 28-09-2013 6:03pm

Reading "World War Z". 26% in and it's far smarter than the movie which bears a jokingly little resemblance to it. Interesting format that's working well.

Zapp Brannigan · 28-09-2013 8:10pm

On to Towers of Midnight in my marathon re-read of WoT to finally finishing it!

Getting excited now.

5live · 29-09-2013 11:21pm

Just finished 'King of Thorns', thought it was an improvement on 'Prince of Thorns'. Jorg is developing nicely as a charachter and the flashbacks are well handled in showing how his experiences have shaped him. Looking forward to 'Emperor' when it comes down in price a bit.

I tried reading 'The Long Earth' by Pratchett/Baxter but i think i will leave it a while. 'Wolves in Ireland' and 'Savage Continent' are calling me so fantasy on the back burner for a while, i think.

OwaynOTT · 30-09-2013 2:23am

Just finished the first part of Shift by Hugh Howey and have hit a wall when the focus shifted to a new character. Disappointed when i was really getting into the other story and felt the pain of the main character.
Read a few pages of the new part and im just not feeling it.

Think i might have a shot at Levithan Wakes next, either that or Steelheart by brandon Sanderson, if i can find time with all this reading about how ireland was a colony of England.

Zurn · 30-09-2013 1:34pm

I reached page 196 from Game of Thrones after 2? months?
I only read in the lunch break at work this story.

Trojan · 30-09-2013 3:32pm

^ Book 1 felt like that for me too. It starts to move a bit more in book 2.

keane2097 · 30-09-2013 4:14pm

ixoy wrote: »

Reading "World War Z". 26% in and it's far smarter than the movie which bears a jokingly little resemblance to it. Interesting format that's working well.

I actually enjoyed the movie even though as you say if they had named it something else you wouldn't even make a connection to the book from it besides zombies.

The book is terrific in fairness, but the audiobook version is where it's at IMO - has the likes of Alan Alda, John Turturro, Mark Hamill and loads of others and is absolutely top notch. Probably the best audiobook ever made.

Trojan wrote: »

^ Book 1 felt like that for me too. It starts to move a bit more in book 2.

I read through book one and thought it was pretty awful, I presume everyone would advise me carrying on with it?

I'm reading that "The Blade Itself" book at the moment and it's decent. A lot of the characters are pretty cool but it doesn't really seem like it's going anywhere fast either. Am I right in thinking it's pretty well thought of?

bradyle · 01-10-2013 12:55pm

Just finished the WoT series and then the New Spring novel too.

Really sad to see it end there were low points in the series yea but overall I really enjoyed it. It was a good story and yes there was stages where the characters annoyed me but by the end of it I didnt want to see them go!

Although

Thought it was a bit harsh what Rand did at the end not telling people he surrvived...like I get he couldnt tell everyone but his Dad, Mat, Perrin and Nyvanne should have been told!

sentient_6 · 01-10-2013 10:17pm

Finished Wool. Fairly enjoyable simple enough read. Found myself maybe not really caring as much near the end & racing to finish it though.

Anyways now for something completely different, going to attempt The Darkness That Comes Before again after i put it down years ago after barely starting it. Much the same way as when i started The Blade Itself i'm going to force myself to stick with it this time.

fenris · 01-10-2013 11:19pm

Just finished a re-read of the Darkness that comes before, it made more sense the second time around as it was easier to keep track of who was who.

Also finished Orson Scott Card - Earth Unaware and am nearly finished Earth Afire, they are a prequel to the Enders Game series and are set around the time of Mazer Rackham and the Free Miners before and at the start of the war. A light and easy read with very little of the moralising of the later books.

Playboy · 04-10-2013 11:21am

Just finished the Reality Dysfunction by Peter Hamilton. Really struggled with it early on but glad I stuck with it as it really picked in the second half as the pieces started to come together. I like his writing style even though it can overly descriptive in places using terms that are unfamiliar... it just means that the reader cant visualise what he is talking about as there is no context unless you are a super geek or quantum physicist.

I promised myself I would read something else prior to jumping into book 2 but now I'm not so sure.. I want to know what happens next.

Sleepy · 04-10-2013 12:54pm

ixoy wrote: »

Reading "World War Z". 26% in and it's far smarter than the movie which bears a jokingly little resemblance to it. Interesting format that's working well.

Such a good book and such an awful movie. I really, really hope someone in HBO realises the potential it has to be a incredible 10 part series like Band of Brothers and buys the story rights (I presume the name is tied up with Brad Pitt's production company but since they didn't use the actual story-line and the movie can't have possibly made it's money back, perhaps they'd be open to selling on the story if it was made under a different name/brand).

On the first few pages of Winters Heart. Definitely finding the series harder going now. Have had to read the chapter summaries of previous books a couple of times now to remind me what's going on, who's Black Ajah etc.

Trojan · 04-10-2013 3:35pm

Sleepy wrote: »

On the first few pages of Winters Heart. Definitely finding the series harder going now. Have had to read the chapter summaries of previous books a couple of times now to remind me what's going on, who's Black Ajah etc.

Ah, the Prologue of Death. No spoiler, it's just ****ing massive - you're nearly halfway through the book by the time it ends.

bradyle · 04-10-2013 3:38pm

Trojan wrote: »

Ah, the Prologue of Death. No spoiler, it's just ****ing massive - you're nearly halfway through the book by the time it ends.

The shock when I seen chapter 1...I assumed I was on like chapter 10 or something!

jonnyfingers · 04-10-2013 3:47pm

Just finished reading "Dust", the final book in the Wool Trilogy. Enjoyed it and a decent end to the trilogy.

What Are You Reading?

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