What Are You Reading?

OwaynOTT

mcgovern wrote: »

Finished Evil for Evil, I know some people didn't think it was as good as the first one, but I really enjoyed it.
Started The Gathering Storm by Jordan/Sanderson. My thinking is that by the time I've finished this and Towers of Midnight, A Memory of Light ebook will be out, and I want to finish a few series before getting stuck into any more.

Gathering Storm the pinnacle of Sanderson's WoT books. After reading all 3 I actually think Jordan could of got it done in one massive book.

gufnork

Dan_Solo wrote: »

I thought that trilogy was some of the cleverest stuff I'd read in ages, even if there was a hint of YA about the whole thing. There's a movie in there bursting to get out you'd have to think.

Yeah, was very good indeed. I Think that's one of the reasons I expected more of 'The Way of Kings'. I may very well go back and try again at some point, but I simply can't face it at the moment. A movie wouldn't surprise me in the least either, they've got the RPG so yeah, why not? I'd be right there, right at the front of the queue that's for sure. Now, who to play Vin?

AnCapaillMor wrote: »

Very slow to start but it really kicks off later. Trust me stick with it.

No, can't, don't make me please... later, later, I promise(but I don't really). Maybe I could skip the first one? Will I miss much? Still can't face it again just yet anyway though.

ixoy

Reading "A Memory of Light" by Robert Jordan / Brandon Sanderson. Finally I approach the end!

In interludes from that, I'm also reading "Wool 3" by Hugh Howey. At least I can read this one on the Kindle.

Necronomicon

Reading William Gibson's "Neuromancer" at the moment. I must confess, it hasn't been the easiest read. I've been finding myself stopping intermittently realising that I'm not entirely sure what's going on.

Playboy

gufnork wrote: »

Really hated 'The Way of Kings'. Got to page 214 and simply couldn't force myself on any longer. A set-up novel it may be but that's no excuse for this level of tedium. Have moved onto 'Light' by 'M. John Harrison' now. I really liked Mistborn too, and Alloy of Law. Very disappointed.

Dan_Solo wrote: »

I thought that trilogy was some of the cleverest stuff I'd read in ages, even if there was a hint of YA about the whole thing. There's a movie in there bursting to get out you'd have to think.

gufnork wrote: »

Yeah, was very good indeed. I Think that's one of the reasons I expected more of 'The Way of Kings'. I may very well go back and try again at some point, but I simply can't face it at the moment. A movie wouldn't surprise me in the least either, they've got the RPG so yeah, why not? I'd be right there, right at the front of the queue that's for sure. Now, who to play Vin?



No, can't, don't make me please... later, later, I promise(but I don't really). Maybe I could skip the first one? Will I miss much? Still can't face it again just yet anyway though.

Really bemused by these posts... Mistborn was poor. It has some good ideas and you could see there was a talented writer in there finding his feet. Its characters were terrible bar Sazed and a couple of others. Vin and Elend have to be two of the worst main characters in a series of fantasy novels ever! Sanderson really cant write women well but for some reason he seems to like writing from that perspective even though its a weakness of his.

I agree that there is a movie in there though but only because the stories lacked any real depth so would be easy to translate to screen.

The Way of Kings on the other hand was one of the better fantasy novels of the last 5 years. Wonderfully imaginative, far better pace and lots more depth. Characters were also on another level to Mistborn but again there were couple of poor female characters in there too. Sanderson really came into his own with this novel and it looks like he took far more time editing it (even though it could have done with a little more). WoK left me wanting more whereas I couldnt wait to finish Mistborn by the end. My missus is on the final Mistborn at the moment and she is struggling to get to the end.

All about opinions though.. different strokes for different folks and all.

Carter P Fly

While i agree about elend being a poor character the mistborn series had one of the best and unique magic systems of any series i've read. I found the only thing that disappointed me was that it ended.

Back on topic, Really struggling to make progress with silverthorn.. ill persist though.

Dan_Solo

Playboy wrote: »

Really bemused by these posts...

I didn't say it was brilliant, I said it was clever. Vin was annoying, yes, and all that ballroom garbage annoyed me immensely.
Far far far from sucked though.

How flat and shallow is The Hobbit and that's worth 9 hours of film apparently!

DarkDusk

I'm currently reading The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. The Name of the Wind is the first book in the incomplete trilogy, The Kingkiller Chronicles. I'm really enjoying the book, I love the way the author writes - so fluid. The story is also so believable I actually feel I'm in the world 100% of the time. I'm finding it seriously hard to put it down at the moment! I really hope this author writes more after he as finished this trilogy! The Name of the Wind is well worth the read if you haven't done so yet.

Zapp Brannigan

DarkDusk wrote: »

I'm currently reading The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. The Name of the Wind is the first book in the incomplete trilogy, The Kingkiller Chronicles. I'm really enjoying the book, I love the way the author writes - so fluid. The story is also so believable I actually feel I'm in the world 100% of the time. I'm finding it seriously hard to put it down at the moment! I really hope this author writes more after he as finished this trilogy! The Name of the Wind is well worth the read if you haven't done so yet.

That will change towards the end of the book...

Still love them though.

Bits_n_Bobs

Playboy wrote: »

Really bemused by these posts... Mistborn was poor. It has some good ideas and you could see there was a talented writer in there finding his feet. Its characters were terrible bar Sazed and a couple of others. Vin and Elend have to be two of the worst main characters in a series of fantasy novels ever! Sanderson really cant write women well but for some reason he seems to like writing from that perspective even though its a weakness of his.

I agree that there is a movie in there though but only because the stories lacked any real depth so would be easy to translate to screen.

The Way of Kings on the other hand was one of the better fantasy novels of the last 5 years. Wonderfully imaginative, far better pace and lots more depth. Characters were also on another level to Mistborn but again there were couple of poor female characters in there too. Sanderson really came into his own with this novel and it looks like he took far more time editing it (even though it could have done with a little more). WoK left me wanting more whereas I couldnt wait to finish Mistborn by the end. My missus is on the final Mistborn at the moment and she is struggling to get to the end.

All about opinions though.. different strokes for different folks and all.

Have to agree with you re. Mistborn. The universe was interesting enough and I did enjoy the first one but totally lost interest around 20% into the second one and never bothered finishing it. WoK far superior.

gufnork

Bits_n_Bobs wrote: »

Have to agree with you re. Mistborn. The universe was interesting enough and I did enjoy the first one but totally lost interest around 20% into the second one and never bothered finishing it. WoK far superior.

The second one was undoubtedly the weakest of the three so I can see why you gave up at that point. It still held my attention a good deal more than the couple-a-hundred pages I read of WOK though.

Sideshow Mark

Finished Drawing of the Three over the weekend, and now I'm torn. I really want to continue with the Dark Tower, but I want be through with ASOIAF before Game Of Thrones S3 starts. Will never finish all of DT and Feast For Crows and Dance of Dragons before then. So Dark Tower is on hiatus, currently reading a chapter by chapter synopsis of Storm of Swords to refresh my memory before starting Feast For Crows.

It's probably come up many times before, but how does everyone else approach long series?

OwaynOTT

Sideshow Mark wrote: »

Finished Drawing of the Three over the weekend, and now I'm torn. I really want to continue with the Dark Tower, but I want be through with ASOIAF before Game Of Thrones S3 starts. Will never finish all of DT and Feast For Crows and Dance of Dragons before then. So Dark Tower is on hiatus, currently reading a chapter by chapter synopsis of Storm of Swords to refresh my memory before starting Feast For Crows.

It's probably come up many times before, but how does everyone else approach long series?

Ah read the next two dark tower books at least, far more enjoyable that the next two asoiaf books.



Have to agree with the thoughts on mistborn not being all that. I finished the first one and it have some interesting action scenes but character wise it was poor.

pH

Finally finished book V of King's The Dark Tower (Wolves of the Calla) - really struggled - didn't like it at all and putting off 6 for as long as possible.

Read (and enjoyed) the first Mistborn book - but the second one was too much and I gave up - it just seemed to be one long drawn out "describe every push on a coin in many pointless mock battles" - and I grew bored and disinterested.

Currently Reading The Cold Commands enjoying it as much as I did the first one (The Steel Remains) - 2 great books (if you like that kind of thing!)

gufnork

Finished 'Light' by M. John Harrison. Am going straight onto 'Nova Swing' by the same author. Really enjoyed Light so have high hopes for this one.

sentient_6

I've started The Blade Itself.......& after 100 pages i'm thinking of putting it down. Really not feeling it.

ixoy

pH wrote: »

Finally finished book V of King's The Dark Tower (Wolves of the Calla) - really struggled - didn't like it at all and putting off 6 for as long as possible.

'Song of Susannah' is worse... I thought the series went on a slide with these two. 'The Dark Tower' is pretty decent but King really lost the run of himself with the series in the end.

Read (and enjoyed) the first Mistborn book - but the second one was too much and I gave up - it just seemed to be one long drawn out "describe every push on a coin in many pointless mock battles" - and I grew bored and disinterested.

I'd recommend reading further. First half of book two is the weakest segment in the series but it definitely picked up. Sure it's rough around the edges in parts but I enjoyed this series immensely.

Currently Reading The Cold Commands enjoying it as much as I did the first one (The Steel Remains) - 2 great books (if you like that kind of thing!)

Great to hear - 'The Cold Commands' was already down as my book to red next once I get Tarmon Gaidan over and done with.

Speaking of which: A 190 page chapter?!?!!

Playboy

sentient_6 wrote: »

I've started The Blade Itself.......& after 100 pages i'm thinking of putting it down. Really not feeling it.

Keep at it... Took me a while to get into it but so glad I stuck with it

Dades

Anyone read The Long Earth, by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter?

Have it on my Kindle and don't know whether to give it a go. More a Baxter fan than a Pratchett one.

mcgovern

Dades wrote: »

Anyone read The Long Earth, by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter?

Have it on my Kindle and don't know whether to give it a go. More a Baxter fan than a Pratchett one.

I've been putting off starting it myself, its not got good reviews from what I seen.

gufnork

Dades wrote: »

Anyone read The Long Earth, by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter?

Have it on my Kindle and don't know whether to give it a go. More a Baxter fan than a Pratchett one.

Have not read any Baxter but from a long-term Pratchett fan I was extremely disappointed with this one. I know it was a serious novel rather than his usual humorous novels but even so, I think it should have at least been able to hold my interest if it couldn't actually have managed to be good. I absolutely would not recommend this to anyone. I found it very bland. I certainly won't be reading any more.

Dades

Yeah, it seems like an odd mix. Baxter is very much hard SF which often doesn't leave room for characterisation. I can see how Prachett fans might balk if there is (as reviews suggest) less of his influence there.

Dan_Solo

Dades wrote: »

Yeah, it seems like an odd mix. Baxter is very much hard SF which often doesn't leave room for characterisation. I can see how Prachett fans might balk if there is (as reviews suggest) less of his influence there.

Crazy mix of authors alright. One I find too hard and the other too soft, but it sounds like the blend of the two doesn't exactly hit the sweet spot unfortunately.
Enough bad reviews to put me off anyway.

TwoShedsJackson

Just finished Player of Games, loved it. On to Use of Weapons next.

mcgovern

Finished The Gathering Storm, I enjoyed it, though I thought it ended a bit abruptly. It mainly dealt with main characters so didn't have the usual problem of remembering who everyone was, not as much anyway!

Started The Twelve by Justin Cronin, I liked parts of the first one, so giving it another chance.

gufnork

Just finished 'Nova Swing' by M. John Harrison. Not great. Not terrible either. Just OK. Am approximately half way through 'Foundation' by Isaac Azimov at the moment too. Is not bad so far, although I have to say it isn't blowing me away either. Maybe it'll get better?

old hippy

Still struggling with Robert Jordan's The Great Hunt. I should've learnt from reading the first one that the really good bits are outnumbered by lots of padding and dubious writing.

ixoy

Reading "The Cold Commands" by Richard Morgan. Enjoying it and all but I'm suffering from the fact I can barely remember the first book (64 books ago).

gufnork

As well as Asimov 's 'Foundation', I'm also reading 'Take back plenty' by Colin Greenland and 'The stars my destination' by Alfred Bester. Foundation has suddenly got better, and The stars my destination is just amazing right from the start. I really hope it remains so and doesn't take a nose dive.

ixoy

Alongside "The Cold Commands" I've just started into Brandon Sanderon's "Legion" novella. It's fun and short so it won't be with me long.