What Are You Reading?

bonkey

pH wrote: »

I like the way you think something is missing, I probably agree, though the one thing that they have going for them is the thing that isn't missing - the ending! - here's a complete story, not the best every written, but a rip-roaring read - I can't believe anyone who likes RR Martin wouldn't enjoy them immensely.

I got to the end of book three. Good ending, for sure. I'll certainly read more of his stuff.

I think, ultimately, what got me about the books was that some of the main characters are lacking a degree of complexity....they're a bit too wooden or simple. With one or two exceptions, most of them would be completely outclassed by the characters in Martin's works.

After those, I went on and read The Book with No Name and The Eye of the Moon. both by Anonymous. Its a bit like as though Quentin Tarantino, Rob Rodriguez and Kevin Smith sat down, smoked something, got drunk and then wrote some books together. High art it ain't, but it was refreshingly different to anything I've read in years. Humour and bloodbaths...often at the same time.

Now, I need to find something else. Having just moved, my entire book collection is still packed up and unavailable, so I guess I'll have to visit Ye Olde Bookshoppe or something...

ixoy

Read 'Zodiac' by Neal Stephenson (which was just okay) and now on to 'Black Man' by Richard Moran. It's quite good so far - he's once more on firm ground starting with a mystery that's being intelligently investigated. I'm about 1/6th of the way through and happy so far.

hattie-f

Im reading The Host by Stephenie Meyer at the moment!
I found out about it through reading the Twilight series ( Which im obsessed about) I found it hard to find a book i liked after twilight because nothing seemed to compare, but the Host seems to be holding its own at the moment, im realy enjoying it!:D

Ping Chow Chi

ixoy wrote: »

Read 'Zodiac' by Neal Stephenson (which was just okay) and now on to 'Black Man' by Richard Moran. It's quite good so far - he's once more on firm ground starting with a mystery that's being intelligently investigated. I'm about 1/6th of the way through and happy so far.

would you let me know how you found this book, I tried reading it when it came out and got bored of the book going over the same social political statements over and over again and gave up about half way through. It's a shame as I LOVED altered carbon!

Zodiac is the next one I have to read, and I now dont have high hopes for it ;P

Manach

Just finishing off "Judas Unchained" by Peter Hamilton. Nice mixture of politics and high-tech weapons systems. Looking forward to the semi-sequel to it.

Johnny Storm

Just finished Alistair Reynolds: House of Suns. Very far future, high-concept SF. Not perfect but very enjoyable. Bit of a return to form IMHO for this guy.
A bit reminiscent of Robert Reed's Sister Alice (but a lot better) and also reminded me a little bit of Hyperion in the way it rambles (mostly in a good way)

Sarky

Finally getting my teeth into Toll The Hounds by Erikson. It's a slow book to be sure, but it looks like it has to be. Lots of ominous things happening or being hinted at happening. Me likey.

383Ger

Just started reading the first book of Robin Hobb's Tawny man trilogy. I read the Farseer trilogy last year and then jumped to the Liveship Traders trilogy after...
Robin Hobb is officially the second woman in my marriage (according to my wife anyway )

thebullkf

only forward (again)

mm smith.

magic

mcgovern

Finished Black Man by Richard Morgan which was really enjoyable, Morgan is fast becoming one of my favourite authors.
Now reading A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, language is making it a hard read so far, but I'm starting to get the hang of it (I hope!).

docmol

eVeNtInE wrote: »

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One of the best books you will ever read, make sure to read the whole series though.

docmol

Gene Wolfe, 1 of the best, a pity about his other stuff....

Shryke

Trying to get into The Anubis Gate but it's just not catching me. I may move on to The Dreaming Void. I'd very much like some good sci-fi.

bonkey

Anubis Gates was ok, I thought, but far from Powers' best. Last Call and Drawing of the Dark grabbed me a lot more.

Currently onto book 7 of Seven Suns, now that its finally out in regular-sized paperback. I dunno...it just feels "more of the same"...

ixoy

I've put "Black Man" aside for now to get more into China Mieville's "The City and the City" (I got my copy before they'd even had time to put it on the shelves). It's naturally a bit screwed up, but wonderfully so - if most authors had only 10% of his talent, the sci-fi and fantasy literary world would be a much richer place.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

this might not technically be the right thread, but I don't wanna start a new thread just for this. I have david zindell - the broken god here, i've never read Neverness and apparently this trilogy is a sequel.. should I put off reading the broken god until I've read neverness? If I'll be able to pick it up without reading Neverness, I'd rather just wait until I can afford to buy that and read what I have now.. but if it will "ruin" either of the books for me I'd rather just wait until I can afford them all.

--edit

apparently the printers made my decision for me.. pages 786 -815 are about a cm shorter than all the other pages and missing a line or two of text at the top of the page... and the very end of the book is not somewhere you wanna be missing words.

in the sprit of the thread.. I am now reading the dragonbone chair - tad williams. it's been so long since I've read it I think I've forgotten enough that it's gona be all new again.

albetty31

half way through 'hour i first believed' by wally lamb.cant put it down.

Shryke

Currently reading The Painted Man by Peter V. Brett. Don't know what to think of it yet.

ixoy

Captain Mords Spiced Bum wrote: »

this might not technically be the right thread, but I don't wanna start a new thread just for this. I have david zindell - the broken god here, i've never read Neverness and apparently this trilogy is a sequel.. should I put off reading the broken god until I've read neverness? If I'll be able to pick it up without reading Neverness, I'd rather just wait until I can afford to buy that and read what I have now.. but if it will "ruin" either of the books for me I'd rather just wait until I can afford them all.

I'd read "Neverness" first. It's not 100% necessary (there's a generation gap before "Requiem for Homo Sapiens" trilogy) but you'd lose out on various themes and explorations. I can't say much more without spoiling it but you'd spoil "Neverness" if you didn't read it first (and "Neverness" is a damn good book).

eVeNtInE

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Johnny Storm

bonkey wrote: »

Anubis Gates was ok, I thought, but far from Powers' best. Last Call and Drawing of the Dark grabbed me a lot more.

Dinner at Deviant's Palace also VG, IMHO. I also really enjoyed Declare.

I just finished re-reading Banks' Consider Phlebas, the Player of Games and Use of Weapons.

I'd forgotten how good Use of Weapons is. Seems to me it's Banks best ever by a mile and up there with very best of SF?

Shryke

The Painted Man was well written and kept me reading. It never really took off but it went into a kind of pleasent glide for a bit near the end. It's very farmboy leaves home type stuff but if you can take that then it's probably worth the read.

Now reading Moving Pictures by Pratchett. It seems a bit weak but that may be because I have Best Served Cold sitting beside it, and I'm dying to get into it. I might have to put Pratchett on hold.

bonkey

bonkey wrote: »

Currently onto book 7 of Seven Suns, now that its finally out in regular-sized paperback. I dunno...it just feels "more of the same"...

To be fair to Anderson, he did manage to pick up the pace nicely in book 7, and brought all of his various threads together...although I think he rambled on a bit too much, giving ech of the characters/groups their "farewell" chapters.

Felt a bit like the movie of Return of the King....its all wrapped up, and then the movie goes on for another hour with everyone having their own "closing scene".

starchild

just finished rides a dread legion by raymond feist, i really liked it but im a big fan of all his work, i think this is probably the best of the past 2-3 books though, the new characters give plenty scope for the future

Has anyone been reading the Darkglass Mountain Tilogy by Sara Douglass, im just waiting on the Infinity Gate to arrive

Sarky

Finished Toll The Hounds on the train today. F*ck me sideways, what an ending.

Now I'm off to have a look at The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross. It's recommended by a friend, I have high hopes.

eVeNtInE

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ixoy

starchild wrote: »

just finished rides a dread legion by raymond feist, i really liked it but im a big fan of all his work, i think this is probably the best of the past 2-3 books though, the new characters give plenty scope for the future

Currently I'm reading "Into a Dark Realm", Part 2 of the Dark War series (so chronologically two books behind you). It's pretty standard Feist fare so far - It's my 22nd Feist novel so it's like putting a comfortable glove on. I know what I'm getting when I go in.

Sarky wrote: »

Now I'm off to have a look at The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross. It's recommended by a friend, I have high hopes.

Did you like this? I've read four of his other books and I've liked each one more. I'm curious about this and its companion novel (Jennifer Morgue?).

Ping Chow Chi wrote: »

would you let me know how you found this book, I tried reading it when it came out and got bored of the book going over the same social political statements over and over again and gave up about half way through. It's a shame as I LOVED altered carbon!

Full review here, but in short I wasn't all that impressed. Social commentary - alpha male, feminism of society, racism, etc. - were a bit tedious at times and I don't think the future society was all that interesting.

Zodiac is the next one I have to read, and I now dont have high hopes for it ;P

Well given I dampened your expectations - what did you make of it?

Trojan

I'm trying to re-read Cities in Flight (James Blish), but finding it incredibly tough going. I first read it about 15 or 16 years ago and I remember it being quite good. What I'm reading now is not how I remember it at all, I'm not enjoying the first book at all. Trying to decide whether to stick it out. Anyone read it recently?

mcgovern

mcgovern wrote: »

Finished Black Man by Richard Morgan which was really enjoyable, Morgan is fast becoming one of my favourite authors.
Now reading A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, language is making it a hard read so far, but I'm starting to get the hang of it (I hope!).

Finished A Clockwork Orange, and while it was good, it was tough going at times.
Taking a break at the moment from Sci-Fi, reading Generation Kill while I wait for next order of books to arrive from bookdepository

Mal-Adjusted

finished Ghosts of Onyx, i'm going to try and read Heretics of Dune again. (i could only get about fifty pages in before) haven't been to Arrakis in 4 years!:D