What Are You Reading?

wyrn · 03-03-2016 1:09pm

Manach wrote: »

Ctrl-Alt-Revolt by Nick Cole. A Terminator meets Ready Player One mix.

Any good?

Manach · 03-03-2016 11:29pm

wyrn wrote: »

Any good?

Yes. I enjoyed very much, a slowish start but brilliant from that point onwards. On the flip side, the author's politics tend to show a bit and it was noted for being "banned" by its publisher

GhostInTheRuins · 04-03-2016 12:05pm

I bought Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb a couple of weeks ago and it was one of the best books I've read in a very long time. I immediately bought part two and three and I'm half way through part two now. Great read so far.

Then two days ago Amazon gave me Liveship Traders part one and part two for free, so it looks like I'll be reading Hobb for a while yet!

wyrn · 04-03-2016 1:40pm

GhostInTheRuins wrote: »

I bought Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb a couple of weeks ago and it was one of the best books I've read in a very long time. I immediately bought part two and three and I'm half way through part two now. Great read so far.

Then two days ago Amazon gave me Liveship Traders part one and part two for free, so it looks like I'll be reading Hobb for a while yet!

I bought that months ago and completely forgot. Must read it next. Nice one of Amazon to give you a free book.

I'm currently reading the Lead Cloak by Erik Hanberg. It's about a machine that can allow users to experience people's thoughts from the past & present. There's no privacy whatsoever. A group of rebels want to shut it down and it's now a moral dilemma.

ixoy · 06-03-2016 10:47pm

About 70% into "Calamity" by Brandon Sanderson, the final book in his super-power Reckoners trilogy. As good as the previous two in that there's a well thought out system, some good plot twists and strong pacing. Writing's not as strong as some of his more serious work but it's definitely a fun read so far and I'm hopeful of a strong conclusion.

spartacus815 · 07-03-2016 2:50pm

On Book 7 of The Wheel of Time: A Crown of Swords.

Dades · 12-03-2016 4:38pm

Fian wrote: »

Is anyone going to try to avoid the TV show? Spoilers would be almost impossible to avoid anyway imo, especially any major plot twists, the TV shows are talked about too much.

I've toyed with the idea of not watching the show, too (BIG fan of the books). But you make a valid point about the amount of spoilers there are these days as GOT is so much a part of popular culture. I'd have to unlike a load of things in my social media feeds. If I thought it'd be a matter of months I'd definitely wait, but the big man is as likely as not to take another year to publish the book.

#undecided

Nody · 12-03-2016 7:30pm

Dades wrote: »

I've toyed with the idea of not watching the show, too (BIG fan of the books). But you make a valid point about the amount of spoilers there are these days as GOT is so much a part of popular culture. I'd have to unlike a load of things in my social media feeds. If I thought it'd be a matter of months I'd definitely wait, but the big man is as likely as not to take another year to publish the book.

#undecided

Not even going to try; between the book being anything between 6 months to forever until it's published it will be even worse with the book(s) after that. So between chat at the water cooler, news stories, memes etc. it's simply a waste of time trying to avoid it all. I'll settle for the enjoyment of the deeper plots etc. in the book once they are out.

Nody · 13-03-2016 8:46pm

Wrong thread

ixoy · 14-03-2016 1:09am

30% into "Dancer's Lament", by Ian C. Esslemont, the first book in his Ascendancy trilogy. It's focusing on the early days of Dancer, well before the ascendant figure we know from the Malazan series.
This is definitely one of Esslemont's stronger entries here - it's moving along quickly and he's avoiding trying to copy Erikson's philosophical meanderings. It'll be interesting seeing Dancer's journey.

shrapnel222 · 14-03-2016 1:40pm

Finished The invisible library by Genevieve Cogman. interesting concept but her writing is not very good unfortunately.

started rereading intervention by julian may (discussed recently). really looking forward to it!

Nody · 21-03-2016 4:03pm

Started on Etherwalker which is book one in The Silicon Covenant series by Cameron Dayton. Not far into it yet but I like what I've read so far in terms of mixing Sci fi and fantasy.

ixoy · 21-03-2016 11:31pm

Reading "Whisper Under Ground" by Ben Aarvonitch, the third in his PC Grant series. Light reading - necessary between heavier series - it's very enjoyable again and Grant is a very likeable lead. Again this series is perfect for TV!

Thargor · 21-03-2016 11:57pm

Reading Existence by David Brin, it is a sci-fi epic, thought it was a bit cheesy at first but its 800 pages that gets better and better and the plot and ideas are solid gold, best sci-fi Ive read in ages, I love stuff about the Fermi paradox.

mcgovern · 22-03-2016 3:42pm

Finished Morning Star - loved it, continues at breakneck speed. It's not going to win any rewards for the writing but its a real page turner, and has a lot of great characters.
Finished Promise of Blood - it was interesting enough that I'll pick up the next in the series at some stage, but if you ask me, they didn't make enough of the gunpowder side of things.
I read Traitor's Blade by Sebastien de Castell. I hadn't heard much about this before picking it cheap on Amazon, but it was surprisingly good. Fairly dark but it is worth getting.
Also read Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer. It was interesting, I'd probably classify it more as horror than sci-fi/fantasy. It reminded me a bit of House of Leaves, in that it was the environment that was unsettling, more so than anything specific that happens really.

Now reading The Grim Company by Luke Scull, it's something along the lines of Joe Ambercrombie so far, with a bit more magic.

OwaynOTT · 22-03-2016 4:27pm

mcgovern wrote: »

Finished Morning Star - loved it, continues at breakneck speed. It's not going to win any rewards for the writing but its a real page turner, and has a lot of great characters.
Finished Promise of Blood - it was interesting enough that I'll pick up the next in the series at some stage, but if you ask me, they didn't make enough of the gunpowder side of things.
I read Traitor's Blade by Sebastien de Castell. I hadn't heard much about this before picking it cheap on Amazon, but it was surprisingly good. Fairly dark but it is worth getting.
Also read Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer. It was interesting, I'd probably classify it more as horror than sci-fi/fantasy. It reminded me a bit of House of Leaves, in that it was the environment that was unsettling, more so than anything specific that happens really.

Now reading The Grim Company by Luke Scull, it's something along the lines of Joe Ambercrombie so far, with a bit more magic.

Abercrombie with magic will be carved on Scull's gravestone I reckon. I enjoyed the book and will get around to the sequel at some stage. Disappointed with some of the conclusion of the some characters arcs but hey it still was fun.

I don't know what it was about Ttaitor's Blade but I really didn't enjoy it all. It will forced or something at times. The protagonist was nowhere near as compelling as Jorg from Mark Lawerence's books and the story wasn't as interesting as Joe Abercrombies.
Scull's debut was stronger in my view. Stood out more.

Been reading Patick Ness' Chaos Walking trilogy. Really interesting premise and an thoroughly enjoyable first book. I'm finding the characters more and more annoying as I go through.
Still a good trilogy and shows a that the young adult tag shouldn't be used as an insult. Some young adult books deal with adult themes can better than adult books. Especially in the fantasy and Sci-fi genres.

Onto Godbless you mr rosewater next.

dudara · 22-03-2016 11:24pm

Just finished "Not Alone" by Craig Falconer. Reasonably decent, but lengthy enough

Thargor · 29-03-2016 8:22pm

Oh my God, this is the greatest load of trash Ive read in a long time:

I was really looking forward to it aswell, it had good reviews and the guy is a HUGO winner but you'd think he was 14 years old reading this, its offensively bad, the characters are so flat and the author is obviously completely clueless about war (basically all modern weaponry is missing, battles are decided by soldiers with machine guns, nothing else), technology, politics, everything really, its actually one of the worst books Ive ever finished and I was saving it for the Easter break. Theres no sense of scale at all, they hop around to different cities like they were one street over, all the characters are the same, its basically everything wrong with the lazy sci-fi you get these days, publishers standards seem to have come way down.

SpaceSasqwatch · 29-03-2016 8:29pm

Started to re-read the malazan books of the fallen...2nd attempt.

Excellent fantasy but feck me it aint for the faint hearted! They are very heavy reads.

Mickeroo · 29-03-2016 10:37pm

SpaceSasqwatch wrote: »

Started to re-read the malazan books of the fallen...2nd attempt.

Excellent fantasy but feck me it aint for the faint hearted! They are very heavy reads.

I really liked Gardens of the Moon but Deadhouse Gates didn't leave me particularly eager to keep going with them. Will get around yo it eventually I'm sure.

Fian · 30-03-2016 10:45am

SpaceSasqwatch wrote: »

Started to re-read the malazan books of the fallen...2nd attempt.

Excellent fantasy but feck me it aint for the faint hearted! They are very heavy reads.

I am planning to embark on a second reading shortly, they are all waiting on my kindle. I agree, heavy stuff. I expect I will "take a break" to try somehting lighter rather than try to forge through all ten in a row.

Before I (re)start on malazan books I will finish reading seveneves (which I confess is disapointing, not bad, just that I expect alot from a neal stephenson book and this is no more than "decent") and after that I will read book 2 of the lightbringer series. The first of those was good, but not as good as the night angel books imo.

So I sound pretty picky here, don't intend to. I think both Brent Weeks and especially Neal Stephenson are good authors.

Glebee · 04-04-2016 9:55pm

Currently reading Cloud Atlas and I suppose its counted as Sci Fi. Was not sure what to expect from reading reviews on this one but am about half way through and am liking it so far. The story set up is very unusual but hopefully the second half of the book will tie everything together. So far so good.

ixoy · 04-04-2016 10:34pm

30% into "The Last Mortal Bond" by Brian Staveley, the final book in the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne trilogy. Just as good as the first two so far - good writing and characters and there's a sense that there's a proper direction and ending in store.

Trojan · 05-04-2016 2:29pm

Started Mistborn last week, now half-way through book 6. First trilogy truly epic, but I love the second trilogy for the comedy and world building. It's almost like a serious Terry Pratchett. Sanderson is awesome.

Trojan · 08-04-2016 5:01pm

Read Powder Mage #1: Promise of Blood. Very underwhelming after reading Mistborn, no connection with the characters, they seem very bland. Rate it as a 4/10 to 5/10.

mcgovern · 11-04-2016 10:06am

Finished Grim Country - it was ok, nothing special but a decent read.
Also read Dark Eden by Chris Beckett - it reminded me a little of some of Stephen Baxter's earlier work. People on a weird world with unusual life, but in other ways it was more Fantasy than Sci-Fi. It was very good, but the abrupt ending let it down.

Now reading The Vagrant by Peter Newman. Struggling with the writing in this one, it's not that it's bad, it's just trying to be a bit too fancy I think. Main character doesn't speak, and the bad guys are quite confusing which don't help either.

keane2097 · 11-04-2016 10:43am

Trojan wrote: »

Read Powder Mage #1: Promise of Blood. Very underwhelming after reading Mistborn, no connection with the characters, they seem very bland. Rate it as a 4/10 to 5/10.

Think I quit that before the end, was very meh

OwaynOTT · 11-04-2016 11:17am

Chronicles of the black company by Glen Cook. Singlehandedly changed the face of fantasy, don't ya know.

Going to mix it up a bit after God Bless you Mr Rosewater.

Only like 20 pages in but I'm hooked all ready, haven't had that with a fantasy book in a while.

keane2097 · 11-04-2016 12:14pm

Yeah I read the first couple of Black Company books and thought they were great.

I'm reading American Gods and the moment. About three quarters of the way through and don't know what I really think of it. It got me hooked early and has a lot of interesting stuff in it, but the story really drags on in the middle.

I have to say it's my first time reading anything by Gaiman and my mind is blown by the standard of his prose - it's like something you'd get in a Junior Cert essay. Obviously there's a danger on the other side of becoming too flowery or convoluted, but the only book I can even compare this to in terms of how 'prosaic' the text is by Paul Galvin, which is not a compliment.

keane2097 · 11-04-2016 12:18pm

Also, Jesus Christ but unless there ends up being some unbelievably clever reason for calling the main character 'Shadow' that decision is one of the worst I've seen from an author in a long time.

What Are You Reading?

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