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What Are You Reading?

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    #1562
    Woow_Aqualung
    Closed Accounts Posts: 228 ✭✭Woow_Aqualung


    Just finished The Riftwar Saga. Really recommend it, even if some parts of the plot seem a bit flimsy. First proper series I've read on my on my Kindle, it passed the test with flying colours.


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    #1563
    gufnork
    Closed Accounts Posts: 546 ✭✭✭gufnork


    'Nine Princes in Amber' - Roger Zelazny. Only decided to read it so I could fully understand the Amber rpg. Can't put it down now. It's an amazing read.


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    #1564
    mcgovern
    Registered Users Posts: 4,267 ✭✭✭mcgovern


    ixoy wrote: »
    I got up to Book 5 and then couldn't find any more of them so left the series. Bizarre nonsense. You can see Hubbard's hatred for psychiatry very evident in the series though.

    Book 9 was even more anti-psychiatry than the others, and didn't have Soltan Gris really which was a shame. Not as good as I remembered the series, but still a decent read I feel.
    Started Fistborn: Final Empire after all the positive comments on here, enjoying it so far.


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    #1565
    shaneor
    Registered Users Posts: 99 ✭✭shaneor


    ixoy wrote: »
    "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins.. I want to get it read before the movie arrives. I'm just over a third through and enjoying it so far - closest thing out there is "Battle Royale".

    I enjoyed it and the Battle Royale comparison came to mind straight away as well. It's entertaining but not overly complicated. Unfortunately the sequels didn't live up to the standard IMO.

    It'll be interesting to see what they do with the film.


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    #1566
    Dades
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,558 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dades


    Just finished The Drawing of the Dark. A good read. :)

    Have gone back to SF with The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl & C. M. Kornbluth.

    Haven't read vintage SF in a while so will have to see if I can get past people not having mobile phones. :p


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    #1567
    TwoShedsJackson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,438 ✭✭✭TwoShedsJackson


    Reading 'Johannes Cabal - The Fear Institute' which I mainly picked up due to the cover, turns out it's book 3 of a series but no apparent need to have read the first two/major spoilers in this that I can see.

    A very entertaining read, if you like your humour deadpan and your main character to be a complete ba$tard, this will be right up your street.


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    #1568
    ixoy
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 17,988 Mod ✭✭✭✭ixoy


    "Watcher of the Dead" by J.V. Jones, the fourth book in the Sword of Shadows series. I'm only a small bit into this far but I'm warming to it already. It's fairly bleak and harsh and that rawness is working so far.


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    #1569
    Zapp Brannigan
    Registered Users Posts: 8,326 ✭✭✭Zapp Brannigan


    Finished Kraken, bit of a mess at the end but it was enjoyable.

    Decided to re-read The Name of the Wind. 5 pages in and I'm falling in love all over again.


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    #1570
    gufnork
    Closed Accounts Posts: 546 ✭✭✭gufnork


    Zapp Brannigan wrote: »
    Finished Kraken, bit of a mess at the end but it was enjoyable.

    Decided to re-read The Name of the Wind. 5 pages in and I'm falling in love all over again.

    Jeeezzz... rather you than me. Once was more than enough :D

    I've just finished re-reading 'The Colour of Magic' by Terry Pratchett. Very funny. Got 'Moving Pictures' lined up next. Just about the only discworld novel I haven't got round to reading yet.


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    #1571
    mcgovern
    Registered Users Posts: 4,267 ✭✭✭mcgovern


    Mistborn: Final Empire was fairly good, while probably continue with the series at some stage, but for now, back to some classic sci-fi.
    Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, interesting so far.


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    #1572
    JD1763
    Registered Users Posts: 372 ✭✭JD1763


    mcgovern wrote: »
    Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, interesting so far.

    Waiting for my copy to arrive from Amazon next week. Really interested in reading the inspiration for the Stalker games. Ordered Eve Templar One as well, have enjoyed the Eve books so far. Sort of hogging the middle ground between hard sci-fi and popcorn.


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    #1573
    Philistina
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2 ✭Philistina


    I have just finished "Of Blood and Honey" by Stina Leicht. Until I get my copy of "And Blue Skies from Pain" I get distracted by "Little, big" by John Crowley. :)


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    #1574
    mcgovern
    Registered Users Posts: 4,267 ✭✭✭mcgovern


    JD1763 wrote: »
    Waiting for my copy to arrive from Amazon next week. Really interested in reading the inspiration for the Stalker games. Ordered Eve Templar One as well, have enjoyed the Eve books so far. Sort of hogging the middle ground between hard sci-fi and popcorn.

    It was interesting, not sure I could read a full length novel by them though (the ebook had about 170 pages).

    Now reading Islands in the Net by Bruce Sterling.


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    #1575
    shaneor
    Registered Users Posts: 99 ✭✭shaneor


    Finished Abercrombie "The First Law" trilogy and really enjoyed them. Glokta has to be one of my favorite new characters in a long while.

    I haven't read much Sci-Fi recently but thinking of getting back into it. Any recommendations for an easy going re-introduction? I'm thinking something light enough (spaceship battles maybe?) rather than diving into hard sci-fi!


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    #1576
    keane2097
    Registered Users Posts: 17,770 ✭✭✭✭keane2097


    Nine Princes In Amber, it's class.


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    #1577
    buyer95
    Registered Users Posts: 3,343 ✭✭✭buyer95


    Just finished The Catcher in The Rye, the second time I read it in under a year. Last summer I read it on holiday, and then in February we were told in school we would be studying it! I was incredulous, and though the next month and a bit would be completely boring, but infact I enjoyed the book the second time more... Its such a classic book, and I think most of my class atleast related to part of it, even though the protagonist is basically clinically depressed


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    #1578
    ixoy
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 17,988 Mod ✭✭✭✭ixoy


    "An Autumn War" by Daniel Abraham, the third book in his Long Price quartet. Set 14 (or so) years on from the second book, I'm so far (14%) enjoying catching up with some very well rounded characters. Good writing.
    shaneor wrote:
    I haven't read much Sci-Fi recently but thinking of getting back into it. Any recommendations for an easy going re-introduction? I'm thinking something light enough (spaceship battles maybe?) rather than diving into hard sci-fi!
    Can I recommend Neal Asher (mcgovern will back me up)? Lots of high-tech battles, nasty aliens, snarky AIs, and some excellent action sequences.


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    #1579
    Andy-Pandy
    Registered Users Posts: 1,848 ✭✭✭Andy-Pandy


    Neil Asher all the way, started reading him on the advice of Ixoy on a different thread, love him. A series which ive enjoyed just as much is Richard Morgan's Kovacs trilogy, its futuristic noir and very enjoyable.

    I started the Hunger Games yesterday, finished it this morning and have just started the second one. Really nice easy read and enjoyable.


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    #1580
    shaneor
    Registered Users Posts: 99 ✭✭shaneor


    ixoy wrote: »
    Can I recommend Neal Asher (mcgovern will back me up)? Lots of high-tech battles, nasty aliens, snarky AIs, and some excellent action sequences.

    Looks interesting. Where's the best place to start? Gridlinked looks like his first one.

    The only thing putting me off is how many books there are in the series, I already have enough on my to-read list :D


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    #1581
    ixoy
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 17,988 Mod ✭✭✭✭ixoy


    shaneor wrote: »
    Looks interesting. Where's the best place to start? Gridlinked looks like his first one.
    "Gridlinked" is the best place to start. There's 5 books in that but it'd be easier to point you here. You'll see some books are part of a series and others are stand alone but set in the same universe. There won't be too many connections in there but then you shouldn't read "The Technician" (for example) before the Agent Cormac series...


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    #1582
    mcgovern
    Registered Users Posts: 4,267 ✭✭✭mcgovern


    Yep, would definitely recommend Neal Asher's Polity books. You'll fly through them all once you start!


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    #1583
    gufnork
    Closed Accounts Posts: 546 ✭✭✭gufnork


    Just started the 4th in the Wild Cards series, Aces Abroad. Am really enjoying these novels. They're a great little diversion from the usual fare.


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    #1584
    gufnork
    Closed Accounts Posts: 546 ✭✭✭gufnork


    keane2097 wrote: »
    Nine Princes In Amber, it's class.

    It certainly is...


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    #1585
    Dades
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,558 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dades


    buyer95 wrote: »
    Just finished The Catcher in The Rye, the second time I read it in under a year. Last summer I read it on holiday, and then in February we were told in school we would be studying it! I was incredulous, and though the next month and a bit would be completely boring, but infact I enjoyed the book the second time more... Its such a classic book, and I think most of my class atleast related to part of it, even though the protagonist is basically clinically depressed
    Not sure why this is here... but I hated Catche in the Rye. On The Road, ftw.


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    #1586
    AnCapaillMor
    Registered Users Posts: 4,920 ✭✭✭AnCapaillMor


    Starting Feist's Chaos Wars after reading others. Enjoying them but thought the demon wars was the weakest of the lot.


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    #1587
    mcgovern
    Registered Users Posts: 4,267 ✭✭✭mcgovern


    Finished Islands in the Net, which was pretty good. Sterlings view of what the Net would be like wasn't spot on, but he got most of the effects of it right I think, which was pretty good for 24 years ago!
    Since I brought the missus to see The Hunger Games on Friday, I'm starting Catching Fire, to see if the parts that I thought shouldn't have been left out of the film, have any bearing on the second book.


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    #1588
    desertcircus
    Registered Users Posts: 2,648 ✭✭✭desertcircus


    Wasn't hugely taken with Asher, to be honest...would always recommend Iain M Banks ahead of him. The Player Of Games is little short of phenomenal.


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    #1589
    mcgovern
    Registered Users Posts: 4,267 ✭✭✭mcgovern


    desertcircus wrote: »
    Wasn't hugely taken with Asher, to be honest...would always recommend Iain M Banks ahead of him. The Player Of Games is little short of phenomenal.

    Banks is very good as well, but can be harder to get into, especially for someone trying to ease their way back into sci-fi. Asher is more accessible I think, and easier reading.


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    #1590
    Johnny Storm
    Registered Users Posts: 3,983 ✭✭✭Johnny Storm


    Banks is a more innovative writer but OTOH good ol' Neal whips out a new book every 6 months or so....
    I like 'em both :p


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    #1591
    mcgovern
    Registered Users Posts: 4,267 ✭✭✭mcgovern


    mcgovern wrote: »
    Finished Islands in the Net, which was pretty good. Sterlings view of what the Net would be like wasn't spot on, but he got most of the effects of it right I think, which was pretty good for 24 years ago!
    Since I brought the missus to see The Hunger Games on Friday, I'm starting Catching Fire, to see if the parts that I thought shouldn't have been left out of the film, have any bearing on the second book.

    Finished Catching Fire, a lot less action and a lot more, "maybe I love Peeta, no, maybe I love Gale, no, maybe I don't love anyone" and assorted other feeling sorry for her self monologues. Still, they are quite short and 2 down, so going to read the third next to finish them off.


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